Tim Tszyu will have to wait a bit longer for his world title shot.
The Australian boxer’s highly anticipated fight with Jermell Charlo, originally scheduled for January 28, has been postponed after the American champion injured his hand in training.
Charlo broke his hand in two places after landing a punch while training at a Houston gym on Tuesday. The 32-year-old’s hand will be in a cast for two months before rehabilitation resumes.
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Charlo fires Tszyu before the showdown | 01:37
There is currently no new date for the rescheduled fight.
“I was training, and I threw a good punch and as soon as it landed, I knew something was wrong. I felt my hand throb immediately,” Charlo said in a statement.
“I had two x-rays and an MRI to see what was wrong. It showed that it was broken in two places. I hate this feeling. My hand will be in a cast for two months. I’m just as disappointed as the fans, maybe more, because this was my first opportunity to defend the undisputed title.
“The way I am, I would have beaten Tim Tszyu with one hand, but the doctors and the boxing commission don’t allow it. It is even more dangerous when a lion is faced with adversity and has to return to defend the pride. I’ve been training since July and I’ve been hitting harder than ever, and these are the things that happen when you push yourself to the max. After my hand heals, I will come back stronger than ever to defend my legacy.”
No. 1 contender Tszyu confessed that he was “very disappointed” by the setback.
“I felt like the stars aligned for the undisputed…but we kept going,” Tszyu said.
“I am ready to face the next mandatory challenger. I’ll be back for Charlo once he’s ready and healed.”
Charlo became the undisputed champion after defeating Brian Castaño in May of this year, unifying all four titles.
Tzuyu sat ringside at Dignity Healthy Sports Park in Los Angeles to watch the fight and is the mandatory challenger for the WBO belt.
The Australian arrived in the United States in November to begin preparations, and Fox Sports’ Nick Walshaw revealed just how secret his pre-fight training camp has been.
While it remains to be seen when the fight will be rescheduled, Tszyu will likely employ the same tactics, keeping only his trainer Igor Goloubev and a small team in his empty gym.
The push for privacy is being driven by Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings, whose caution stems from twice dealing with serious spying scandals while grooming the boxer’s Hall of Famer’s father.
