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Mike CoppingerESPN
Jermell Charlo will defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28, the challenger announced Tuesday on Instagram.
The fight for all four 154-pound titles will take place in the United States, sources told ESPN.
PBC, which is handling the event, owns network deals with Showtime and Fox.
Charlo, who fights out of the Houston area, cemented his place atop the 154-pound division when he knocked out Brian Castano in the 10th round of a May rematch. When they met in July 2021, they fought to a controversial draw.
Now, Charlo will move on to Tszyu, who was ringside in the Los Angeles area for the KO of Castano.
“Different heat in America,” Charlo, 32, said at the postfight news conference. “… How much money he got? F— Tim.”
The son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, Tim is already a star in Australia. He made his U.S. debut in March when he survived a first-round knockdown to outpoint Olympian Terrell Gausha.
Against Charlo, Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) will be taking another leap in class and will be installed as the underdog for the first time. The pressure fighter, who is rated No. 3 by ESPN at 154 pounds, has never competed against a top-10 boxer. Charlo, of course, is one of the best fighters in the world regardless of weight.
“Two years already I’ve been mandatory for the WBO title, so I think it’s about time,” Tszyu told ESPN before Charlo and Castano entered the ring. “… I prefer the Charlo fight, stylistically I think it makes more sense for myself. Just a better fight, bigger buzz — that’s what boxing’s all about. I wanna bring a big, big fight [to Australia] after I win something big.”
Tszyu will get his wish now in his first title shot as he attempts to live up to the legacy of his father.