Tim Tszyu reacts after world-title blockbuster against Jermell Charlo scrapped
Tim Tszyu has accused Jermell Charlo of ducking him in skipping a planned world-title fight to move up two weight divisions and fight Canelo Alvarez.
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Tim Tszyu has accused Jermell Charlo of “ducking” him after the Australian boxing superstar’s world-title blockbuster against the American champion was sensationally scrapped.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19KO) dropped a bombshell on Tszyu (23-0, 17KO) on Saturday by announcing he is moving up two weight divisions to fight Mexican legend Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs).
Tszyu produced a stunning knockout of Carlos Ocampo a fortnight ago and his next step was a mandatory world-title unification bout with super welterweight king Charlo in Las Vegas later this year.
But Tszyu’s much-anticipated showdown with Charlo is in tatters after the American blindsided the ‘Soul Taker’ by jumping to super middleweight to fight Alvarez.
The duo will square off in Las Vegas on September 30 - the very date that was set aside for Tszyu to take on Charlo for all four belts.
The tactical move will fuel suggestions the 33-year-old Charlo is running scared of Tszyu, who retained his WBO interim world title on June 18 with his savage first-round knockout of Ocampo on the Gold Coast.
That win was seen as Tszyu’s preamble to beating Charlo, but the American’s cunning move to face Alvarez, who was expected to fight his twin brother Jermall, leaves the unbeaten Sydneysider in limbo.
Tszyu took to Instagram to give Charlo an uppercut, posting: “Canelo ducks Benavidez. Charlo ducks Tszyu ... #Boxing.”
Charlo’s decision is likely to see Tszyu formally installed as the WBO world champion.
But that would represent a hollow promotion for the ultra-competitive Tszyu, who has a glorious chance to eventually unify the super welterweight division and become just the 10th undisputed champion of the four-belt era.
Tszyu is currently holidaying in Dubai and will be bitterly disappointed not to get his shot at Charlo after the pair were initially slated to fight in Vegas in January.
The 28-year-old is the mandatory challenger to Charlo, but the ‘Iron Man’ suffered a broken hand in training last December that has constantly delayed the bout.
After Charlo faces Alvarez, he may return to super welterweight and Tszyu’s promoters No Limit said the son of Kostya will be waiting for him.
“Charlo’s time will come. Tim still wants him. He’s still on the list,” said No Limit boss George Rose.
“It’s understandable that Charlo is taking this opportunity.
“Canelo is the biggest star in world boxing and it’s a huge money fight for Charlo.
“When your options are to lose all your belts to Tim Tszyu or take the biggest pay day in boxing, where a loss doesn’t harm your stocks, you can understand Charlo choosing that path.”
Rose is adamant Charlo is scared of losing to Tszyu, who could now face unbeaten Russian dangerman Bakhram Murtazaliev (21-0, 15KO), ranked No.1 with the WBO and IBF.
“Charlo chose the money over the risk and I understand that,” he said.
“It’s disappointing for Tim because Tim is ready and in shape to beat Charlo.
“Tim is still the most active champion in boxing and while this is a disappointment, it doesn’t mean Tim won’t fight.
“We now look at what and where the options are for Tim Tszyu and he will fight again and will keep winning.
“The most disappointing part is that Tim is ready to be the undisputed super welterweight world champion.
“He should be taking home four belts but instead will have to take Plan B.”
After his win over Ocampo on the Gold Coast, Tszyu told News Corp he had no doubt he could beat Charlo and said he wouldn’t be surprised if the division top dog dodged him.
“I do think Charlo is genuinely injured, I’m not sure how long he will take,” Tszyu said.
“But I’m waiting and there’s no guarantees, I think he knows I am a threat to him.
“It’s cringe worthy stuff watching him (with his ranting social-media posts).
“He is a drunk, he gets on the piss all the time and gets on Instagram.
“He has made lots of money and drinks too much, so he is comfortable and he knows I’m coming for him.
“America is the land I want to conquer.”
‘S**t for boxing’: Fenech reacts to Tszyu blindside
- Brendan Bradfield
Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech has blasted the Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo bout as “s**t for boxing” after Tim Tszyu’s dreams of a showdown for Charlo’s super-welterweight titles was left in tatters this weekend.
Charlo was slated to fight Tszyu in September or October this year in Las Vegas, with the undisputed super-welterweight titles on the line.
Instead, the 35-1-1 American will move up two weight classes to fight undisputed super-middleweight champ Canelo on September 30, seriously blindsiding Tszyu and his promoters No Limit.
Tszyu, who holds the WBO interim super-welterweight title, is expected to be elevated to full champion status, but his dreams of claiming the unified title at 154-pounds is in shreds.
Canelo-Charlo will be sold as “undisputed vs undisputed” with Canelo’s 168-pound belts on the line. It shapes as a more lucrative fight for Charlo, with less risk than a super-welterweight fight against Tszyu.
Tszyu is on his way back to Australia after holidaying in Dubai following his 77-second destruction of Carlos Ocampo on the Gold Coast two weeks ago.
Former world champion Fenech didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Canelo vs. Charlo fight.
“It’s s**t for boxing,” Fenech told this masthead on Saturday morning. “There’s been so much hype and so much talk about it.
“You’ve gotta feel for Tim, he was trying to get all those belts now he’s gotta start again, kind of and win one belt at a time.”
Fenech said Charlo’s decision to move up two weight classes shows he’s only in it for money rather than belts and respect.
“I felt it coming. It was just for the money,” he said. “Canelo’s taking an easy fight and the other guy’s taking the money.
“And you can’t really blame Charlo. I’m not sure what he’s getting paid to fight Canelo, but it might be triple what he’ll get for fighting Tim.
“It’s an easy decision for both of them, because one’s getting an easier fight and the other is getting a lot more money. But is that good for the sport? I don’t think it is.”
Tszyu was initially scheduled to fight Charlo in January this year, but the bout was postponed when the American broke his hand.
Instead, Tszyu stayed busy, winning the interim WBO title by stopping Tony Harrison in Sydney in March, before defending the belt against Ocampo two weeks ago.
“Tim deserves his chance. Especially with all the talk. He had to wait for his shot for so long, and he deserves his chance,” Fenech continued.
“But in this day and age, people don’t think about belts, they just think about money.
“Tim’s old school. He’s different. He just wants to prove he’s the best and that’s what he’s been doing.
“He showed that in his last two fights taking these guys out.
“People at the top of the sport need to be a lot tougher and stronger with these guys. It’s crazy.”
Tszyu reacted to the developments via Instagram.
“Canelo ducks Benavidez. Charlo ducks Tszyu …#boxing”
Canelo reportedly turned down (US)$45 million to fight the dangerous WBC interim super-middleweight champion Benavidez.
Charlo hasn’t fought since May 2022 when he knocked out Brian Castano, and despite being ordered to face Tszyu, has always been more interested in a bout with Canelo.
“F**k it, I’m 150 pounds, I’ll gain a little weight,” he said on Instagram Live. “Let me show y’all what it is.
“Why don’t ya’ll make Canelo vs. Charlo? Somebody put that together.
“Little Charlo will fight anybody.”
Originally published as Tim Tszyu reacts after world-title blockbuster against Jermell Charlo scrapped
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