Tim Tszyu’s world title hopes on ice after WBO champion Patrick Teixeira is cleared for US fight

Tim Tszyu’s hopes of a world title shot early next year have been dealt a blow after WBO super welterweight champion Patrick Teixeira was granted entry to the US for his title defence.

Tim Tszyu after his victory over Bowyn Morgan.

Tim Tszyu’s hopes of a world title shot early next year have been dealt a blow after WBO super welterweight champion Patrick Teixeira was granted entry to the US for his title defence.

Brazilian fighter Teixeira is scheduled to take on Argentina’s Brian Castano in California on February 13.

“Looks like Tim Tszyu will need to wait for his world title shot,” Ben Damon tweeted.

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Looks like Tim Tszyu 🇦🇺 will need to wait for his world title shot. WBO Super Welterweight champ Patrick Teixeira 🇧🇷 has today been granted entry to the US for his defence against Brian Castano 🇦🇷 on February 13 in California 🥊 pic.twitter.com/deullxS2jp

— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) December 22, 2020

“WBO Super Welterweight champ Patrick Teixeira has today been granted entry to the US for his defence against Brian Castano on February 13 in California.”

The WBO recently announced that if a fight between Teixeira and Castano did not eventuate by January 6, then Tszyu, who beat New Zealand’s Bowyn Morgan on December 16, would earn a title fight against Castano, which would relegate Teixeria to No.1 contender.

COVID-19 restrictions have prevented Teixeria from leaving Brazil, which had placed the super fight with Castano in doubt.

Teixeira was scheduled to fight the Argentine on a Golden Boy card in late April but the pandemic caused the bout to be cancelled.

Boxing experts predicted Teixeira would be stripped of his belt within days due to the unlikelihood of him being granted permission to travel in time for his deadline, but the fight will now go ahead.

Rising Australian boxing sensation Tszyu will now have to wait to see who wins out of Teixeria and Castano, with a fight with another local contender likely his next move in the meantime.

It is likely Tszyu’s next bout will be a tune-up fight to avoid any chance of costing him a title shot against Teixeira or Castano.

Tszyu said after his victory over Morgan that a world title shot was not far away.

“Do you guys know what’s next? That’s the world title, here, in Sydney, Australia,” Tszyu said.

“Let’s make it 10 times the size of this. Australia deserves it.”

Originally published as Tim Tszyu’s world title hopes on ice after WBO champion Patrick Teixeira is cleared for US fight