Decision Time for Jermell Charlo; Fight WBO Mandatory Tim Tzsyu or Lose the Title
When you hold more than one world title in a division, you’re often beholden to a sanctioning body obligated title defense. Such is the state of the current undisputed junior middleweight champion, Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs).
The World Boxing Organization championship committee has ordered that Charlo’s next fight must take place against their mandatory junior middleweight challenger, Tim Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs). They sent a formal letter to both camps on May 31, giving all sides a twenty-day window to negotiate a fight. Should both sides fail to make a deal during that time frame, a purse bid will be ordered.
Charlo is coming off a tenth-round TKO in a rematch with then-WBO champ Brian Castano (17-1-2, 12 KOs) on May 14 to attain undisputed status at 154 pounds. Tszyu was in attendance. Afterward, he announced that Charlo is the man he wants to fight next.
FAR FROM BEING A SETTLED MATTER
Also ranked second by the IBF and third by the WBC, Tszyu is itching to fight for a world title. His camp petitioned to fight for the WBO belt before Castano’s second fight with Charlo. However, the sanctioning body ruled that the rematch will take place under the condition that the winner must face Tszyu next.
Following his win over Castano, Charlo was non-committal about his future. When Tzyu’s name came up during the post-fight presser, Charlo was very dismissive of the power-punching Australian. However, a fight and win over Tszyu would be an excellent notch on his resume.
Tszyu signed a multi-fight deal with PBC in March 2022, making his PBC and United States debut with a decision win over Terrell Gausha on March 26. Charlo has been in the PBC fold for years. So, in theory, negotiations for such a match should not be that difficult.
Charlo has worked hard to make history. If he wants to continue as an undisputed champion, he must fight Tszyu. If he decides not to face the Aussie, he will lose the WBO belt. The ball is in his court. We will see what he does. Stay tuned to 3Kings Boxing for further updates.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
