Tim Tszyu fight postponed, Jermell Charlo suffers broken hand

By Boxing News - 12/24/2022 - Comments

By Craig Daly: Tim Tszyu will need to wait a little longer to challenge undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo, as the newly crowned four-belt champ has suffered a broken hand while preparing for their now postponed January 28th fight on Showtime at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Charlo, 32, injured his left hand last Tuesday during a sparring session. The break is in two places, and the hand is now been put in a cast, which will remain for the next two months.

Once the cast is removed, Jermell will start rehabbing his injured hand.

The Charlo vs. Tszyu fight doesn’t have a new rescheduled date yet, but it will be announced shortly. In the meantime, Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) says he’s prepared to fight the next mandatory in the interim while he waits for the 32-year-old Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) to heal up from his broken left hand.

“I’m very disappointed, but we move on,” said Tszyu. “I’m ready to take on the next mandatory challenger. I’ll be back for Charlo once he is ready and healed.”

It’s unclear who the 28-year-old Tszyu could fight while he waits for Charlo to slowly heal because it could take a long time before he’s 100% and ready to go.

Some options for Tszyu:

  • Tony Harrison
  • Bakhram Murtazaliev
  • Charles Conwell
  • Josh Kelly
  • Xander Zayas
  • Brian Castano

Former WBC 154-lb champion Tony Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) would be an ideal opponent for Tszyu to fight while Jermell licks his wounds, and it would be a match-up that would bring in excellent ratings on Showtime.

Charlo discusses his injury situation

“I was sparring, and I threw this nice punch, and as soon as it landed, I knew something was wrong. I felt my hand throbbing right away,’’ said Jermell Charlo.

“I had two X-rays and an MRI to see what was wrong. It showed it was broken in two places. I hate this feeling. My hand will be in a cast for two months. This was my first chance to defend the undisputed title.

I would have beaten Tim Tszyu with one hand, but the doctors and the boxing commission won’t allow that.

“I’ve been hitting harder than ever, and these are the things that happen when you push yourself to the limits. After my hand heals, I’m coming back stronger than ever to defend my legacy.’’

Going up against a puncher like Tszyu, the last thing Jermell would want to do is battle with an injured limb. Tszyu would be like a hyena going after an injured lion, and he’d have a huge advantage.