By Craig Daly: Undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo has decided to push his WBO mandatory defense against Tim Tszyu to January 28th.
Jermell revealed the news of his Jan.28th fight date on Instagram but then quickly edited out the date, which could mean that he’s having second thoughts.
Jermell (35-1-1, 19 KOs) will rest up for the remainder of the year due to his grueling rematch against former WBO 154-lb champion Brian Castano on May 14th.
The 32-year-old Charlo fought Castano in a toe-to-toe battle and took a lot of punishment from the Argentinian before scoring a tenth-round knockout.
Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) isn’t expected to be pleased with having to wait another six months for his mandated title shot against the 32-year-old Charlo, but there’s not much he can do about it.
Jermell has the WBO belt, and if he wants to drag out the fight a little bit longer, Tszyu will need to deal with it.
It’s not s surprise that Charlo is choosing to take the fight with the Australian Tszyu next year, as he typically fights annually.
Jermell is a fighter in the same mold as Gary Russell Jr, the former WBC featherweight champion who had a habit of fighting just once a year during his seven-year reign.
To get Charlo to fight more than once a year would be taking him out of his usual pattern, and he might not do well against the young gun Tszyu under those circumstances.
Tszyu is a risky fight for the 32-year-old Jermell, as he throws a lot of punches with colossal power. If Jermell can’t score a knockout in this fight, he will need to get on his bike to keep from getting worn down by the younger, stronger Tszyu.
Jermell hasn’t faced a big puncher like Tszyu during his 15-year professional career, and it’s late to be taking this kind of fight, mainly when you only see action yearly.
“Twincharlo – Ain’t Done Yet, Unleash The Lion & Let Me Rumble.🇺🇸🔥🇦🇺 . BREAKING NEW. NEXT FIGHT DATE @lionsonlypromotions 🦁” said Jermell Charlo on Instagram.
Hopefully, Jermell doesn’t make Tszyu wait for nothing by electing to vacate his WBO 154-lb title next year rather than taking the risky fight. That’s always an option for Jermell if he doesn’t want to risk losing the heavy-handed Tszyu.
Charlo, like his twin brother, WBC middleweight champion Jermall, has made a lot of money during his career, particularly in the last five years.
As one of the nouveau riche, Jermell has enjoyed the fruits of his labor, living in a beautiful house, driving fancy cars, and living like a king.
When fighters like Jermell and Jermall suddenly fall into a ton of money, it’s got to be challenging to stay active like regular boxers, who have to fight frequently to pay bills and keep a roof over their heads.
We’ve seen how money has changed fighters like Andy Ruiz Jr and Tyson Fury, arguably taking away their ambition and turning them into bon vivant types.
