By Robert Segal: Tim Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) wants undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) to keep his four belts nice & shiny for him because he’s coming to take them away on January 28th in their 12-round headliner on Showtime Championship Boxing at the Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Charlo hasn’t lost a fight in four years since his narrow 12-round unanimous decision to Tony Harrison in 2018. However, some boxing fans believe Jermell deserved a defeat at the hands of Brian Castano in their first contest in 2021.
Tszyu, 28, possesses the firepower & the youth to deal Charlo his second career defeat, but for him to do that, he’s probably going to need to get to him early because he’s going to be dropping bombs all along the way.
“There’s going to be a new king of the division on January 28. I can promise non-stop action. Keep those belts shiny because I’m coming to grab them,” said Tszyu to Charlo at their kickoff virtual press conference.
“This fight has been a long time in the making for me. I’ve been chasing this, so I’m glad that it’s finally come,” said Tszyu.
“There’s only one task in mind. My plan is for victory. I’ll be 100 percent ready on January 28.”
“I think it’s going to be a good fight. I’ve only seen Tim Tszyu fight once against Terrell Gausha,” said Jermell Charlo’s trainer Derrick James to Fighthype.
“I think he’s a good fighter. I’d been hearing about him. I know some people in Australia, and they keep telling me about Tim Tszyu. So I kind of knew about him.
“Jermell is coming off a great performance [against Brian Castano]. So it’s all about building on that. I don’t know,” said James when asked if Charlo could walk into something nasty from Tszyu.
“Listen, everybody comes in on a high. So I think you got to be smart, and maybe you want to set something up. He’s got to be the best version of himself,” said Derrick when asked what Charlo need to do to avoid there being a part two of his fight with Tszyu.
“Really, the fights are won in the gym. You basically act out in the gym in the fight. So, I think it’s all about going out in the gym. That’s where you really win the fight in the gym in the preparation,” said James.