- No Limit Boxing has confirmed that Tim Tszyu will defend his WBO super welterweight against interim WBC titleholder Brian Mendoza.
- Tszyu was anticipating a mega-fight with Jermell Charlo for the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles, but the latter announced in June that he is moving up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez.
- The opening odds at online betting sites have Tszyu as a heavy favorite to beat Mendoza in the bout.
On Sunday, October 15, Tim Tszyu (23-0-0) will defend the WBO title in his home country of Australia against Brian Mendoza (22-2-0). According to Mendoza, he has a lot of work to do against the champ. Tszyu is a significant betting favorite to win the match at -345 odds, according to BetUS.
The Australian boxing star went into this year with Jermell Charlo (35-1-1) on his mind. As the mandatory challenger, all roads pointed to Tszyu for Charlo. However, Charlo wanted the big payday in a highly-anticipated bout with Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2).
For his elite confrontation with Alvarez, Charlo will move up from 154 pounds to 168 pounds. As a result, Tszyu was given the cold shoulder. Naturally, the decision was based on which fight would result in more money.
At this time, Charlo has no interest in fighting Tszyu. In comments to Showtime’s Brian Custer, the undisputed light middleweight champion clarified his decision to move up weight classes and bypass the Aussie.
“I know Tim Tszyu was my [mandatory] challenger. But he does nothing for my career.”
In other words, a fight against Alvarez is a better incentive for his bank account. It’s a win-win situation for Charlo. If he beats Canelo, then he’s crowned the best fighter in the world. If he loses, as expected, then he makes a lot of money and moves back down in class.
Tszyu Criticizes Charlo (And Canelo)
Tszyu has been waiting a long time for the opportunity to box with Charlo in the ring. After an impressive win over Tony Harrison (29-4-1) in March, Tszyu said that his eyes were on the US and Charlo.
“There’s no doubt I’m going to America, that’s the land I want to conquer,” said Tszyu following his win over Harrison. “I’m not satisfied with his interim belt – I want all four, and I want the name Charlo on my resume. Let’s dance in October.”
It would only be the second fight for Tszyu on American soil. The two were scheduled to fight in January, but Charlo’s broken hand resulted in the match being postponed. Instead of putting his career on pause to wait for Charlo, Tszyu accepted fights against Harrison and (35-3-0) Carlos Ocampo.
Tszyu won both fights while looking forward to a mega-fight against Charlo. When he learned that it wasn’t happening, the 28-year-old Sydney native aired his grievances on social media. Not only did he lay into Charlo, but he had words for Alvarez too.
Tszyu posted this comment on Instagram:
“Canelo ducks Benavidez. Charlo ducks Tszyu #Boxing.”
Clearly, Tszyu isn’t happy about missing another opportunity to beat Charlo. While you can say Charlo would have lots of problems with Tszyu and is ducking a fight, the primary motivation for the “Iron Man” is the cash.
As far as Alvarez goes, many boxing pundits, and even Floyd Mayweather, agree that he is ducking a fight against 26-year-old David Benavidez (27-0-0). Benavidez would make for an interesting opponent, though Alvarez would likely go into the fight as a sizable favorite.
However, the No. 1 boxer in Australia likely agrees with one decision that was made recently.
Charlo Stripped of WBO Super Welterweight Title
On August 3, it was announced that Charlo would be stripped of his WBO super welterweight title following his fight against Alvarez in September. In turn, the belt is scheduled to be placed on Tszyu’s waist for the October 15 bout against Mendoza.
After Charlo bowed out of his scheduled fight against Tszyu in January, there have been calls for Charlo to be stripped of his WBO title. In his latest bout, he defeated Brian Castaño by KO on May 14, 2022.
Tim Tszyu gets FIRED UP over Jermell Charlo saying the WBO stripping him was BS!
• Tszyu tells Charlo to bring the other 3 belts so they can fight for undisputed
• Says Charlo knows he will lose to Canelo
Watch full cup here: https://t.co/Frx7MxWH1N pic.twitter.com/xLyVqGqZzq
— FIGHT HUB MARCOS (@heyitsmarcosv) August 21, 2023
Tszyu has been keeping busy and will not have any rust stepping into the ring against Mendoza. After he won with a TKO over Harrison, the only boxer to beat Charlo, Tszyu turned his attention to Ocampo on the Gold Coast.
That fight was easy work for Tszyu, as well. Tsyzu ended things in the first round with a brutal knockout of Ocampo. Moments after the opening bell rang, “The Soul Taker” had Ocampo on his heels and off balance.
It was a terrible effort from Ocampo, but Tszyu was on a mission to not leave Round 1 without a victory. With Charlo coming off a layoff, this would have been the perfect spot for Tszyu. Nevertheless, he must forget about Charlo and look forward to Mendoza.
Puncher’s Chance For Mendoza
Currently, Mendoza is a +255 underdog for his fight against Tszyu in October. This affords Mendoza a 28.2 percent implied chance of winning the bout. That is what we consider a puncher’s chance, and fortunately for Mendoza, he is bringing cement fists with him to Australia.
In 16 of Mendoza’s 22 wins, he has won by KO. Dating back to March 26, 2023, Mendoza is on a three-fight TKO/KO streak. In his most recent assignment, the 29-year-old Albuquerque native laid out Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1) in Round 7.
🤯 Ringside footage of Brian Mendoza’s stunning knockout of Sebastian Fundora.
What. A. Shot.
🎥 @ShowtimeBoxing pic.twitter.com/CckJ2Om2A3
— Boxing News+ (@BoxingNewsPlus) April 9, 2023
Fundora, who didn’t have a loss on his resume before the fight, was counted out by the ref at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Mendoza’s knockout ability is his best asset. If Tszyu leaves himself exposed and makes one mistake, there could be an opening for Mendoza to exploit.
The Aussie claimed that he is not bothered by Mendoza’s talents:
“In all honesty I couldn’t care less about what he’s done. I’m focusing on myself. I couldn’t care less about his knockouts and his ability.”
Tszyu added that he and Mendoza are the top boxers in the super welterweight division.
“We’re the two top dogs in the super welterweight division because the other bloke did a runner. Number one versus number one.”
