[ad_1]
By Jim Calfa: Tim Tszyu says Jermell Charlo is NOT a “lion” as he calls himself but rather a “pussycat.” Tszyu doesn’t think much of Charlo for him not wanting to fight him, which is why he’s calling him a “pussycat” rather than by his monicker “Lion.”
Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) had hoped to step in as the replacement opponent for the IBF/WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) to save the March 19th show after WBO 154-lb champion Brian Castano suffered a biceps injury and couldn’t fight on that date.
Unfortunately for Tszyu, he won’t be allowed to replace Castano as the replacement opponent for the 31-year-old Jermell. Tszyu suspects that “political stuff” is preventing him from being given the greenlight to face Jermell on the March 19th date.
Instead, Tszyu says he’ll fight on March 26th against Terrell Gausha, the same opponent he’d been scheduled to fight in the co-feature on the Charlo vs. Castano II card in Los Angeles.
The location for Tszyu vs. Gausha fight on March 26th is still yet to be determined. What we do know right now is the fight will be staged in the United States, as that’s where the Australian Tszyu wants it to take place.
#1 WBO Tszyu is the mandatory for World Boxing Organization junior middleweight champion Castano (17-0-2, 12 KOs).
Until Catano suffered a bicep injury, the plan was for Tszyu to fight on the Charlo-Castano undercard in the chief support bout against the 34-year-old Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs), and then face the winner of that fight.
That’s not going to happen now, and Tszyu won’t be given the chance to fight Jermell as the replacement opponent.
The 27-year-old is the mandatory challenger to Argentine Brian Castaño’s WBO title and Tszyu was to face the winner of the light middleweight unification fight between Castaño and Charlo, if he’d beaten Gausha.
“March 19 is done. I will fight the same opponent [Terrell Gausha] the following weekend, on a different show,” Tszyu said to Foxsports.com.au. “I told the boys to make it happen, and I’m just waiting for a date.
“I’m just ready to go to America; that’s where I’ve always been dreaming about, so I want to have a quality opponent in America.”
“He calls himself a lion but he’s a little pussy cat, that’s all he is,” Tszyu said of Charlo.
“There could be political stuff involved with (preventing Tszyu from being able to fight Jermell as the replacement) but my main concern is to fight and not to sit around. Whoever, whenever but not wherever – in America,” Tszyu.
It’s too bad Tszyu can’t replace Castano as the opponent for Charlo, but the promoters have their reasons.
Castano isn’t expected to be ready to fight anytime soon unfortunately. His rematch with Charlo is now expected to take place in May or June.
Tszyu has recent wins over these fighters:
- Takeshi Inoue – UD 12
- Steve Spark – TKO 3
- Dennis Hogan – TKO 5
- Bowyn Morgan – TKO 1
- Jeff Horn – TKO 8
Tszyu is the son of the former IBF/WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu. Like his father, Tim has a lot of punching power.
[ad_2]
Source link