Tim Tszyu all set to face Takeshi Inoue in title eliminator
When last in the ring, Tim “The Soul Taker” Tszyu (19-0, 15 KO’s) laid waste to a grossly outclassed Steve Spark in a quick three rounds. The next time that the super welterweight slides through the ropes to compete, it likely will not be such an easy affair. This is due to Tszyu penning a November 17 showdown with Japanese boxer Takeshi Inoue (17-1-1, 10 KO’s). It was previously believed that Inoue was going to next test his might against the challenge of Rei Nakajima. Yet, given this update, clearly that duel has been scrapped in lieu of this WBO title eliminator.
From the outside looking in, the upcoming prizefight with Tszyu is the tougher of the two fights, anyhow. Presently, the aggressive Japanese pugilist is currently riding a four-fight win streak since suffering his first and only professional loss to Jaime Munguia back on January 26, 2019. Despite giving as good as he got, Inoue would drop a unanimous decision loss following a tremendously grueling affair. It should also be mentioned though, none of those four competitors were much of anything to write home about. In this regard, both, Tszyu and Inoue, will be looking to step up their recent level of competition.
Tim Tszyu, the son of former boxing standout Kostya Tszyu, is presently ranked #1 (WBO), #3 (IBF) and #3 (WBC). Conversely, Inoue is ranked #7 (WBO) and #15 (IBF). Naturally, Tszyu would suffer a greater drop in his standings should he be toppled by his Japanese opposition. To date, the biggest names on the Soul Takers ledger are Dennis Hogan and Jeff Horn. When they fought, Horn was at best a husk of his former form and Hogan was best known for losing to Jaime Munguia and Jermall Charlo. Said to say, while Tszyu is on a solid path, he is still looking to establish himself as a truly premium product within the super welterweight division. It will be interesting to see how their styles clash in the ring come fight night.
By: Bakari Simpson
