Tim Tszyu v Carlos Ocampo: Latest news, fight build-up, dog attack fallout
Carlos Ocampo says he won’t target Tim Tszyu’s arm which was injured by a dog bite but is planning to shock the Australian — read his warning shots here.
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Tim Tszyu’s Mexican rival Carlos Ocampo has promised not to target the Australian’s injured arm in their world title bout, but doesn’t want to see the infamous dog bite used as an excuse when he claims a shock victory on the Gold Coast next weekend.
Tszyu’s June 18 bout with Ocampo was in doubt last week after he suffered a dog bite on his forearm that required 25 stitches.
While Tszyu is adamant he will be able to fight Ocampo just three weeks after emergency surgery, the Mexican says he doesn’t want the incident to overshadow his victory.
“I took the fight against Tim Tszyu because he represents an important challenge in my career,” Ocampo said.
“He is the one who holds the title today, and on June 18 he will understand what it is to meet a Mexican. I will beat Tim Tsyzyu, make no mistake.
“I wish him a speedy recovery because I hope it’s not an excuse on Sunday June 18.
“I won’t aim for your arm because I’m a gentleman. But remember, protect yourself at all times.
“This has been the best preparation of my career, the sparring was better than that of many world champions and my work won’t be in vain even though I have to go to the other side of the world.”
Ocampo warned that Tszyu has never fought a boxer as battle-hardened as he will be when they step into the ring at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
“I truly believe I will beat Tim in the most unexpected way,” he said.
“Us Mexicans are different. We are distinguished fighters, we are real, we come to fight.
“In Mexico, sparring is with 12 ounces, not like in the rest of the world, which is with 16. Here (in Mexico) boxers fight to win breakfast tomorrow and the rest of the world doesn’t understand that.
“I’m going to fight to bring the title home.”
TSZYU PREPARED TO FIGHT ONE-HANDED AFTER DOG ATTACK
Jamie Pandaram
Tim Tszyu has declared he is willing to fight anyone in the super-welterweight division with one hand if required, after surviving a horror dog attack three weeks before his world title defence.
Tszyu will resume sparring next week in preparation for his showdown against Mexico’s Carlos Ocampo on June 18, despite requiring 26 stitches on his right arm after being bitten by a friend’s 45kg American Staffordshire terrier.
The injury gave WBO interim champion Tszyu a perfect excuse to pull out of the bout on the Gold Coast, given he’ll lose his September fight against undisputed champion Jermell Charlo later this year if Ocampo defeats him.
“It was never going to be an out, it was never even considered as an option, if I couldn’t punch with my right then I’d have to fight with one hand, so be it,” Tszyu said.
“I still feel like I’m the best in the division, I can beat anyone with one hand if it came up to it.”
Asked if he believed Charlo would have done the same, Tszyu replied: “That’s a question you’ve got to ask him, he’s still not fighting so that tells me something, on holidays that bloke, loves his holidays.”
Tszyu and Charlo were to meet for all four major belts in January, however the fight was postponed after the American hurt his hand.
Being the mandatory challenger, Tsyzu could have simply waited for Charlo to heal.
Instead, he put his ranking on the line by fighting former world champion Tony Harrison in March, stopping him with a stunning ninth-round knockout.
When Charlo extended his injury break, Tszyu again chose not to wait and lined up Ocampo – who has fought Errol Spence Jr and Sebastian Fundora, and is rated by many as a more dangerous opponent than Harrison.
Most fighters in Tszyu’s position would have pushed for a postponement or cancellation after the dog attack.
“We just found out that the fight on the Gold Coast is a sellout, so I’m not pulling out, this is part of my legacy, part of my career,” Tszyu told reporters on Friday, though he was not willing to show his stitches on camera.
“It’s not ideal that it happened, but it did happen. I see it as more of a positive to go through this type of adversity and come out right on the other side.
“After the fight, I will show everyone the photo of what actually happened, I don’t want to give up too much right now.”
The WBO has already ordered that Charlo must face Tszyu (22-0, 16KO) by September 30, however the Australian must defeat Ocampo (35-2, 23KO) to get the long-awaited showdown.
Tszyu’s promoter, No Limit Boxing chief George Rose, said: “I’ve been telling you all that no man in this division can beat him, and his proved that no dog is going to take him down either.
“He cannot be beat.
“I love Team Tszyu for the confidence they have.
“Nothing can slow him down, he’s got no fear in who he’s stepping in against.
“As soon as he got the all clear, he was training, nothing stops this bloke from training and that’s something I’m so personally impressed with, how he carries himself as an athlete and as a fighter.”
Tszyu was attacked by the dog, who he’d never previously met, when opening the door to his friend’s home.
“A dog came at me, I defended myself like that (motioning a sideways turn) and he took a bite of me,” Tszyu said.
“I’m good now, that’s the main thing. At first I was a bit worried and nervous when it happened on Saturday, but a week on from the incident it’s all on track.
“I was full training on Monday. The thing happened on Saturday, I was back in the gym Monday so it didn’t really limit me at all.
“It was a little bit of a distraction, not ideal to go into surgery three weeks before a fight but whatever, I just want to get it on, there’s a dog in me that’s about to come out.
“At the time I was thinking, ‘S---, this is not good’. But at the same time I was quite confident when I was lying in the bed, I was like, ‘It’s just a little bump in the road’.
“A lot of people would have pulled out, but I’m not like that.
“I was actually quite nervous, but there’s always a brighter side, today (Friday) I woke up and I was actually ready to spar.”
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Originally published as Tim Tszyu v Carlos Ocampo: Latest news, fight build-up, dog attack fallout
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