Despite living in the shadows of his famous father, Kostya, and Jermell Charlo for the time being, Tim Tszyu is on the verge of stepping out of these shadows and establishing his own identity.
In his fight tonight (October 15) in Broadbeach, Australia, Tszyu improved his professional record to 24-0 (17) with a unanimous decision victory over American Brian Mendoza. Not only did he successfully defend his WBO super-welterweight title, but it also seemed that he had eliminated the final obstacle in his path to face Charlo, the number one super-welterweight in the world.
After the fight, Tszyu called out Charlo, stating, “Charlo, where are you at, buddy?” When asked about what Charlo would think of his win over Mendoza, Tszyu confidently added, “He’ll probably delusionally think he can beat me. Come and get it.”
Tszyu’s eagerness to test himself against the best is evident. He demonstrated this against Mendoza and in previous fights, as he remains active and takes risks while waiting for the fight that will ultimately define him. This aspect sets him apart at super-welterweight.
It is clear that Tszyu believes in himself and is fully confident that he will not only remain undefeated during the wait but also seize the opportunity when it arises. He also firmly believes that Charlo, whom he has pursued for some time, will grant him this opportunity and rejects the notion that Charlo is intentionally avoiding him.
Tszyu said, “He fought Canelo, man, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s the best at 154 pounds, but now let’s really prove who is the king of the division.”
In what could be seen as his final hurdle before facing Charlo, Tszyu defeated Mendoza tonight with scores of 117-111, 116-112, and 116-111, suggesting a competitive fight. It indeed was until Tszyu’s superior stamina and physical strength enabled him to dominate in the second half of the fight and overpower the courageous but limited American.
Against Charlo, Tszyu knows he will need more, but there is no doubt that at the age of 28, he is ready to challenge himself against the best.