Tim Tszyu’s undisputed world title fight with Jermell Charlo is off after the American champion broke his hand in training.
Tszyu and Charlo were scheduled to face off on January 29 in Las Vegas, a chance for the Australian to earn the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF belts.
Tim Tszyu will have to wait for his world title shot.Credit:No Limit
The “Soul Taker” had spent the last month in Los Angeles preparing for contest, which has been postponed indefinitely after Charlo broke his hand in two places, between the pinkie and ring finger and at the base of the thumb. After visiting two doctors and a hand specialist in Houston, Charlo’s hand was placed in a cast, which he will have to wear for two months.
Tszyu is expected to face another opponent before belatedly getting his shot at Charlo.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Tszyu. “I felt like the stars aligned for undisputed … but we move on. I’m ready to take on the next mandatory challenger. I’ll be back for Charlo once he is ready and healed.”
There is currently no new date for the rescheduled match, although a new date will be announced soon.
“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.
“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.”
The Tim Tszyu-Jermell Charlo fight has been postponed.Credit:Getty
Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions, said the anticipated fight would still happen in 2023.
“This is not the news that anyone wants to hear because we’ve been anticipating this fight. But these things happen,” Brown said.
“The way I am, I would have beaten Tim Tszyu with one hand, but the doctors and the boxing commission won’t allow that.”
Jermell Charlo
“Jermell didn’t take the easy route to become the undisputed super welterweight champion, so he knows that nothing comes easy. Tszyu better be ready because Jermell will be stronger and hungrier than ever when he comes back.”
Tszyu was supremely confident of joining his father, hall-of-famer Kostya Tszyu, in becoming an undisputed champion. The 28-year-old will now have to wait for his chance to become the king of the super-welterweight division. The clash, which was to be shown on the Showtime network, was slated as a chance for him to become a household name in the US.
“Charlo vs Tszyu for the undisputed super welterweight title is one of the biggest and most anticipated fights on the 2023 boxing schedule, so we, like boxing fans around the world, are obviously disappointed to hear of Jermell’s injury and the resulting postponement,” said Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s president of sports and event programming.
“We wish Jermell a speedy recovery, and we look forward to adding this important fight back to the Showtime schedule as soon as reasonably possible. We know both Jermell and Tim are anxious to give boxing fans the all-action fight that we have all been anticipating.”
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