Unbeaten junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu has found himself as the odd man out – with expected opponent, undisputed world champion Jermell Charlo, reaching a deal to move up by two weight divisions to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Canelo vs. Charlo will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View card on September 30th in Las Vegas.
Tszyu is the mandatory challenger under the WBO.
A few months ago, the sanctioning body ordered Chaleo and Tszyu to collide by the end of September.
Charlo will enter the ring with Canelo as undisputed. But, win or lose, Tszyu – who holds the interim-title – will likely get upgraded to full champion.
Tszyu’s domestic rival, top contender Michael Zerafa, is ready and willing to fill the void. They were scheduled to collide in 2021, with Zerafa withdrawing at the late hour.
“I’m ready, I’ve always been ready,” Zerafa said to The Herald. “The circumstances were out of my hands with the first fight. I never pulled out of that fight.
“I’ve got a world title [shot]; he thinks he has a world title. I’m happy to fight him and shut him up once and for all. My manager deals with everything for me and I know for a fact that he wants that [Tszyu] fight. Australia wants that fight. The world wants that fight. Zerafa v Tszyu is the biggest fight in boxing, it’s huge, it’s [Anthony] Mundine-[Danny] Green all over again.
“For me, if it makes dollars it makes sense. If it sets up something bigger in the future, I’m more than happy to take that fight. Let’s put it all on the line because, for me, that’s a legacy fight. I can redeem myself. Everyone thinks I ran away and chickened out of that fight. Me and Tim Tszyu is redemption for me. I’m coming to take his head off his shoulders.”
Zerafa, ranked number one by the World Boxing Association at middleweight, will fight on the undercard of the Danny Garcia-Erislandy Lara clash in August against an opponent yet to be confirmed. Zerafa will get the Lara-Garcia winner.