The promoter of WBO world super-welterweight champion Tim Tszyu [23-0] has fired back at former undisputed super-welterweight king Jermell Charlo following his loss to Canelo Alvarez and the WBO super-welterweight crown in the process.
Charlo would move up two-weight classes and challenge Canelo for the super-middleweight undisputed crown but would produce a lacklustre performance under the lights at the T-Mobile Arena, losing a wide unanimous points decision.
Furthermore, Charlo lost his WBO world super-welterweight title on the sound of the opening bell of his contest with Canelo. Tszyu was the beneficiary and was elevated to full world champion status following a period as interim champion.
Tszyu makes the first defence of his WBO crown this upcoming Sunday against Brian Mendoza [22-2] at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Brisbane, Australia.
Mendoza comes into the contest on a hot reign of form with three consecutive knockout victories over Benjamin Whitaker, Jeison Rosario and last time out against the highly touted and previously undefeated Sebastian Fundora.
George Rose, CEO and promoter of No Limit Boxing and Tszyu, is aiming if Tszyu is successful against Mendoza, to target significant names for the new WBO world champion.
“Brian Mendoza, Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez … that’s what is next for Tim Tszyu,” Rose said to Fox Sports Australia.
“First, Tim has got a real dangerous challenge on his hands in Mendoza. He’s easily the top of the division alongside Tim, and his knockout power is vicious. But if Tim can get through what will be his toughest test to date this Sunday, then it’s only the biggest and best fights for him after that. And there are no bigger fights in boxing than taking down some of the world’s biggest pound-for-pound fighters in consecutive fights.
Charlo, in the lead-up to his contest with Canelo, was less than complimentary to Tszyu, calling him the “sparring champion”, considering that Tszyu did not defeat Charlo for the title. However, the pair had been previously scheduled to meet in January of this year, but due to injury on behalf of Charlo, the prospective fight was pushed back to the drawing board.
Rose continued by saying that he and Tszyu are not going to hang around forever waiting on Charlo, ultimately saying that him holding the three remaining belts at 154lbs and despite Tszyu’s ambition of becoming an undisputed champion is not ‘good business.’
“Charlo had his chance [to fight Tszyu] and he ran. He literally ran. He ran from fighting Tim for the undisputed title, and then he ran around the ring all the way to the bank against Canelo. And given Tim is the most active fighter in the world right now, he isn’t going to sit around and wait for Charlo to decide if and when he’s going to come back to the division.
“Of course, we want Tim to become the undisputed champion of the world, but when the guy who has the other belts has one fight every one or two years, it’s not good business.”
