Tim Tszyu Now Ready After Dog Bite But- “At Time Was Nerve Racking”
Interim WBO Junior Middleweight champ Tim Tszyu is ready to go for his headlining bout Saturday night bout in Queensland, Australia. But, the Aussie star is also mindful that his latest fight was almost undermined by, of all things, a dog bite.
The popular Tsyzu spoke about the freak injury Tuesday afternoon at an open media workout for his scheduled 12 round bout with veteran Carlos Ocampo of Mexico. It’s a card promoted by No Limit Boxing and will be televised on PPV in Australia and live on Showtime in the U.S.
“I think it scared everyone else more than it scared me,” Tszyu said. “I was always quite confident. Every camp you’re presented with different challenges. And while this wasn’t ideal, a day after, I was ‘sweet.’ It’s just at the time, it was a bit nerve wracking. But we move on. Now it’s the fight.Forget about the dog bite.”
Tszyu, 24-0, 16 KOs, was injured while at a friend’s barbeque two weeks ago, when a pit bull attacked and bit his right forearm. The wound was so significant that it required 25 stitches to close.
Tszyu’s Biggest Win Back In March
Still, Tszyu is primed for his second fight in just over 90 days after dominating and eventually, stopping American, former world champ Tony Harrison by TKO in March. That night in Newcastle, Australia, Tszyu had had a partisan crowd roaring, as he pounded Harrison into submission with numerous big uppercuts and combinations in the 9th round to force the TKO. That gave Tszyu arguably the most significant win of his career.
Tszyu, the son of hall of famer Kostya Tszyu, had elected to take the Harrison fight after undisputed 154 lb. champ, Jermell Charlo, but he broke his left hand in two places while training for a January defense against Tszyu. Charlo appeared live on the Showtime studio coverage in March of Tszyu-Harrison and proclaimed that he was healed from the hand injury. However, the rescheduling of the Tszyu bout didn’t materialize, and the Australian moved on to fight Ocampo, whom he’s heavily favored atainst.
Related, the WBO has made it clear that Charlo has until September 30th to fight Tszyu or they will elevate him to the world champion. That’s provided that he overcomes the dog bite, the Mexican opponent and is victorious Saturday.
A veteran broadcaster of over 25 years, T.J. has been a fight fan longer than that! He’s the host of the “Big Fight Weekend” podcast and will go “toe to toe” with anyone who thinks that Marvin Hagler beat Sugar Ray Leonard or that Tyson, Lennox Lewis or Deontay Wilder could have beaten Ali!
