WBO Will Elevate Tim Tszyu To World Champ In September

Australian junior middleweight star Tim Tszyu will eventually be elevated to WBO world champion status at 154 lb. That’s according to an announcement Wednesday night by the the organization.

This finally brings some resolution to Tszyu, 23-0, 17 KOs, trying to challenge for the WBO’s belt, and the four others, that undisputed champ Jermell Charlo holds currently at Junior Middleweight.

The organization put out a lengthy eight page ruling from Wednesday, as a resolution to Charlo refusing to reschedule/fight Tszyu by their September 30th deadline.

Once, Charlo, 35-1-1, 19 KOs, committed to fighting Canelo Alvarez for his four super middleweight titles in late September, the WBO had to act on behalf of Tszyu, who was their “interim” champion, already.

The statement concludes with:

Having carefully reviewed and appraised the facts stated herein, having considered the arguments of the parties, and having examined our governing rules and regulations, this Committee determines the following:
1. The WBO Championship Committee hereby rules:
a) The WBO will sanction Canelo/Charlo scheduled for September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
b) Charlo will be allowed to enter the ring as WBO Champion and be announced as such (WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion).
c) After Charlo enters the ring on September 30, 2023, and is officially introduced as WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion, his status and recognition as WBO Champion is terminated “Ipso Facto”.
d) After Charlo’s WBO Champion status and recognition is terminated pursuant to above mentioned section (c) this Resolution, Tim Tszyu will be automatically elevated from Interim Champion to Full Champion status.

e) If the Canelo/Charlo bout does not take place on September 30, 2023, for whatever reasons, the WBO Jr. Middleweight Championship shall be declared “Vacant” “Ipso Facto” and Tim Tszyu shall be automatically elevated from Interim Champion to Full Champion status.
f) This Committee reserves the right to render all future rulings necessary, helpful, and convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies, and intent of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests, including serving the interests that best serve professional boxing and the WBO.
This is a final decision of the WBO Championship Committee. The affected WBO participant may appeal such determination to the Complaint and Grievance Committee as per Rule 34, which as per Article 3(e) of the WBO Appeals Regulation must be submitted in writing to the WBO President within fourteen (14) days of this decision as its sole and exclusive remedy.

Dated: August 3, 2023
San Juan, Puerto Rico
WBO CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE
By: Luis Batista Salas, Esq.”

Charlo and Tszyu were to have fought for the undisputed 154 lb. belts in a highly anticipated battle back in January. However, Charlo suffered a broken left hand in two places weeks before the bout, causing it to be postponed.

Since then, while waiting on Charlo to heal, Tszyu won the “interim” belt by stopping former world champ, and the only man to beat Jermell Charlo, Tony Harrison on a TKO in Australia in March. With the rematch still not re-scheduled, Tszyu went ahead and fought again in Australia and destroyed Carlos Ocampo in a first round KO.

It was soon after that, that Charlo and Premier Boxing champions revealed that he would be the opponent this September for Canelo, as part of Alvarez’s new three fight deal with them. It’s obviously the most lucrative and important fight of Charlo’s career.

So, it became obvious that the WBO had to act and they will now do so, allowing Tszyu to likely make a world title defense coming in the Fall. Then, depending on if Charlo pulls the upset on Canelo or loses and wants to drop back down to junior middleweight, Tszyu would have the potential undisputed shot at him, again.