Tim Tszyu creates mega-buzz for undisputed fight with Charlo
Tim Tszyu has officially arrived and with his TKO victory over Tony Harrison this past weekend, the Jermell Charlo fight is now ‘must-see’.
This weekend added to a roll of exciting fights that Showtime has hosted since the beginning of the year. Tim Tszyu (22-0) stopped former WBC junior middleweight champion Tony Harrison (29-4-1) via ninth round TKO in a jam-packed arena of 11,740 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
There is no question that leading up to the matchup on Showtime, there was plenty of fans & media intrigued by the matchup as Tszyu was coming into it with just one step-up fight, and Harrison was a former champ who could box. Even I will openly admit that in my prediction column, I picked Harrison to win because of his boxing ability and movement, but when the fight began, Harrison looked as stiff as a statue.
I don’t know if the ruckus crowd inside the venue overwhelmed Harrison or being 32 and at the age window where you can get old overnight. Whatever it was, Harrison just didn’t look like the guy that puzzled Jermell Charlo for twelve rounds a few years ago. Although the jab was there all night long, the movement wasn’t, and the punch selection outside of the jab was non-existent.
That Tim Tszyu right hand was devastating on Saturday night.Photo Credit: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous
Who was on and ready to put on a show was Tszyu. There was plenty of thinking going on early, but as soon as Tszyu was able to time the left jab from Harrison, that’s when the overhand rights were coming in hard and fast. Then there were moments when Tszyu would get off a sneaky right uppercut that would stop Harrison in his tracks. The one thing I would critique about Tszyu was that in some of the middle rounds, he was trying to land the one punch and that reduced his punch output. That’s my “Monday Morning Quarterback” thought which doesn’t take away from his statement win.Tszyu put pressure on Harrison all night and got him in the position he wanted to land the hard shots, which would eventually lead to the finishing TKO.
After the fight, Tszyu kept shouting, “What’s my mother f*cking name” in a way where he felt like the statement win positioned him where he is no longer considered the son of a legend but just Tim Tszyu. When Tszyu was asked what message he had for Charlo, he said, “The message was sent clearly. You know what’s next, you know I’m coming.” Charlo was at the CBS studios with the Showtime crew and clearly received the message. He downplayed Tszyu’s victory as something “he was supposed to do” but knows deep down inside that it’s going to be a tough fight.
.@TwinCharlo sends a message right back 😤#TszyuHarrison #CharloTszyu pic.twitter.com/QfpqCd1fmH
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 12, 2023
So what happens next? Charlo revealed during the broadcast that he would be ready to return towards the end of the summer if everything heals right with his hand. Although there was already plenty of interest in Charlo vs. Tszyu, this performance on Saturday makes this a “must-see” fight and one that fans will circle on the calendar once a date is announced. Although it was more risk than reward to fight Harrison, Tszyu took the chance, and it ended up working out for him as not only did he make new fans, but he also made it clear that he is a true number one contender and is more than ready for his shot at the undisputed crown.
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