Tim Tszyu will need to wait a little longer for his world title shot.
The Australian boxer’s highly-anticipated fight with Jermell Charlow, originally scheduled for January 28, has been postponed after the American champion injured his hand in training.
Charlow broke his hand in two places after landing a punch while sparring at a Houston gym on Tuesday. The 32-year-old’s hand will be in a cast for two months before rehabilitation resumes.
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Charlo dismisses Tszyu ahead of showdown | 01:37
There is currently no new date for the rescheduled bout.
“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,’’ Charlo said in a statement.
“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. I’m as disappointed as the fans, maybe more, because this was my first chance to defend the undisputed title.
“The way I am, I would have beaten Tim Tszyu with one hand, but the doctors and the boxing commission won’t allow that. It’s even more dangerous when a lion faces adversity and has to come back to defend the pride. I’ve been training since July, and 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.’’
No. 1 contender Tszyu confessed he was “very disappointed” by the setback.
“I felt like the stars aligned for undisputed … but we move on,” Tszyu said.
“I’m ready to take on the next mandatory challenger. I’ll be back for Charlo once he is ready and healed.”
Charlo became the undisputed champion after defeating Brian Castano in May this year, unifying all four titles.
Tzuyu sat ringside at Dignity Healty Sports Park in Los Angeles to watch the fight and is the mandatory challenger for the WBO belt.
The Australian arrived in America in November to begin preparations, and Fox Sports’ Nick Walshaw revealed how secretive his training camp in the lead-up to the bout has been.
While it remains to be seen when the fight will be rescheduled to, Tszyu will likely employ the same tactics, keeping only his trainer Igor Goloubev and a small crew in his empty gym.
The push for privacy is being driven by Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings, whose caution comes from having twice dealt with serious spying scandals when preparing the fighter’s Hall of Fame father.
