Home Boxing News Tim Tszyu proud to be part of Aussie boxing renaissance

Tim Tszyu proud to be part of Aussie boxing renaissance

Tim Tszyu. Photo credit: Gregg Porteous/No Limit Boxing

WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu 23-0 (17) says Australian boxing is in great shape at the moment and he is proud to be amongst those leading the pack.

For just the second time in history Australia has three concurrent world champions with cruiserweight Jai Opetaia 23-0 (18) holding the IBF and Ring Magazine straps while Jason ‘Mayhem’ Moloney 26-2 (19) is possession of the WBO bantamweight belt alongside Tszyu.

The 28-year-old Sydneysider was elevated from interim to full champion when former undisputed champion Jermell Charlo 35-2-1 (19) was stripped of the WBO title the moment he stepped through the ropes to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 60-2-2 (39) in Las Vegas on September 30.

The same day that Charlo was getting toweled up by Alvarez, 28-year-old Sydney southpaw Opetaia was putting the acid on six-foot-six Jordan ‘Troublesome’ Thompson 15-1 (12) in London, beating him up and stopping him in four frames in his first world title defence.

The away win brought a smile to Tszyu’s face.

“What a performance, complete annihilation,” Tszyu said to The Sporting News. “I said before that he’s the number one cruiserweight and that if he gets the opportunity to prove it, he’ll do it.

“[Australian boxing] in a good place. I think the best thing is that everyone’s interested and we’ve got a lot of Aussie fans behind us. That’s very important to us.”

Tszyu is less than a week away of his first full world title fight when he defends his bauble against visiting American Brian ‘La Bala’ Mendoza 22-2 (16) at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland on Sunday afternoon local time.

He is yet to celebrate his new title and says it will not really sink in until after the Mendoza fight.

“I certainly believe I deserve the spot, especially after the Tony Harrison win and the fact that I’ve been mandated to fight Charlo for a year-and-a-half, then he decides to pull the runner and go for the money fight,” said Tszyu.

“I guess it’s a mix of mix of emotions. My manager was quite happy and, you know, whatever happens in life, my name forever gets cemented in the history books as a WBO world champion.

“But for me, I’m so locked into the present moment. Upgrading me to full champ? I’m not concentrated on that. It’s not satisfying. What I’m focused on right now is the fight ahead and that’s all that matters.

“[Mendoza is] gonna be a tough challenge. He’s awkward, he’s coming off two impressive knockouts (over Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora), so he’s on the uprise and it’s gonna be an interesting fight.

“I feel like I’m still the hunter and, in my mind, that’s why I’m not content with being elevated to full champion. It doesn’t bother me. I’m still in the mindset of a hunter, focused on the present moment, and focused on Mendoza.”

As for Charlo’s effort against Alvarez, Tszyu was far from impressed.

“In my opinion, he didn’t go there to win — very tentative,” Tszyu said. “Whoever gets the opportunity to fight Canelo is gonna take it. It’s the biggest stage and a shit-ton of money as well.

“All of that plays a part, but it’s the competitiveness in you, to try and win and make something of it. I didn’t see any competitiveness. He was there just to show an appearance and not get knocked out.

“If you get this opportunity, you just go for it, man. Like watching Errol Spence-Terence Crawford, at least Errol Spence went out on his shield. He’s still punching, he’s still trying to press forward, he’s trying to win.”

Charlo has flagged a move back down to the 154-pound weight class where he still holds the WBC, WBA and IBF world titles. Tszyu says he will believe it when he sees it.

“I’m not sure, I think that money changes people,” Tszyu said. “Once he gets paid, we’ll see what happens, what his personality is and what he’s feeling. I want his name on my resume, so if he goes missing, then he goes missing.

“There’s nothing I can do. But if he comes back down to 154, then I’m gonna be the one knocking.”