Tim Tszyu CALLS OUT Jermell Charlo after stopping Tony Harrison to claim WBO interim belt and set up blockbuster clash against undisputed welterweight champion: ‘You know what’s next. I’m coming’
Tim Tszyu has set his sight firmly on defeating Jermell Charlo in a blockbuster unifying fight after claiming the WBO super welterweight interim world title on Sunday.
In front of a partisan crowd at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, the Australian stopped Tony Harrison in nine rounds to emulate his father Nikita in winning a world title in the ring.
By beating Harrison, Tszyu (22-0, 16KO) has set up an unification fight against Charlo (35-1-1, 19KO) which will in all likelihood be staged in Las Vegas.
And the 28-year-old wasted no time in making his intent clear after beating Harrison, hitherto the only man to have stopped Charlo
‘I just beat the man who beat the man. What does that make me?,’ Tszyu said in the ring.
Tim Tszyu called out Jermell Charlo after winning the WBO super welterweight world title on Sunday in Sydney
Jermell Charlo (right) currently holds the WBA, WBC and IBF the super welterweight belts
Tszyu stopped Tony Harrison (left) in nine rounds following a brutal series of punches
‘The message was sent clearly. You know what’s up. You know what’s next. I’m coming.’
Tszyu and Charlo were meant to fight on January 28, but the bout was cancelled after the WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA light middleweight champion broke his left hand.
The Aussie instead bolstered his chance to have a shot at the US champion by beating Harrison, but insisted claiming the interim WBO crown was simply another stepping stone towards a much bigger target.
‘You don’t know if you’re a shark until you swim with the sharks,’ he said.
‘My career has unfolded step-by-step, and each step I’ve taken I’ve had to pick it up.
‘This is an interim belt. The champ has to be beaten, and he has all four belts.
‘The real undisputed for me is beating Charlo.’
Charlo said he was impressed by Tszyu’s dismantling of Harrison, but warned the Australian he would be an altogether more formidable challenge when they eventually meet in the ring.
‘He was impressive. He did what he had to do at home,’ he said as part of Showtime Boxing’s coverage of the fight in the US.
‘He was a little flat to me but my movement, my style and my power will make him do completely different things. When I get my [left] hand right and get back into the ring for training, put that tape in. That will work.’
‘This is exactly what we had seen.
‘He comes forward but is not as fast. He’s strong, of course, but aren’t we all? I’m a different animal in there than Tony.’
Harrison (right) is so far the only man to have beaten Charlo (left) in 37 fights
Charlo acknowledged Tszyu would be a ‘tough’ fight but insisted the 28-year-old was the ‘perfect’ opponent for his style of boxing.
‘When you’ve got skills, and you’ve got styles and you’ve got power all together, you get four belts,’ he said.
‘He’s going to be a tough fight because he’s coming forward, but I think he’s perfect for my style.
‘I know he can’t take my punch, because I just know my punch is different […] It just made me want to fight, just get this over with, shut him up, I’ve shut a lot of them up, it’s just another one.’
