Ring Rust Could Disadvantage Jermell Charlo When He Faces Tim Tszyu
The biggest fight to be made in the junior middleweight division is between undisputed champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) and WBO Interim champion Tim “The Soul Taker” Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs). The two were scheduled to meet on January 28. However, Charlo would suffer a broken left hand that forced the postponement of the fight.
Since the postponement of their fight, Tszyu has gone on to fight twice. He stopped former WBC champion Tony Harrison in his home country of Australia back in March. In the aftermath, he sent a message to Charlo saying he was coming for him. His most recent ring outing came on June 18, when he destroyed former world title challenger Carlos Ocampo in one round.
WILL THE LONG LAYOFF HURT CHARLO?
By the time these two step into the ring this fall on a date TBD, it will have been just over thirteen months since Charlo last fought. His last bout came in a rematch against former WBO champion Brian Castano, whom he stopped. Charlo exudes confidence and an undying confidence in his abilities. However, will rust play a factor when these two finally meet?
While there’s no guarantee that it will, I’m positive it will play a role. The injury to Charlo could turn out to be a major key for Tszyu. Many felt Tszyu simply wasn’t ready for the undisputed champion at the time they were scheduled to meet. Having secured the added experience though, the conversation on his chances of victory against Iron Man has changed. There’s no doubt that Jermell Charlo should still be favored, but it’s going to be interesting to see how he looks once the bell rings.
