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By: Sean Crose
Twenty-seven year old junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu is focusing on his planned January match with undisputed divisional champion Jermell Charlo. Speaking via FightHub , the 21-0 Aussie came across as nonchalant but confident as he prepared to travel to America to ready himself for what is clearly the biggest match of his career. “I’m just going to be chasing big fights,” he said of his future plans, “something that you wake up in the morning and it’s worth living for.” Life has been pretty good lately for the son of famous ring warrior Kostya Tszyu. Along with being in line to square off against one of the more notable names in the sport, he’s also set to receive all the attention that goes with the challenge.
“I’m not taking on just the world champions,” he said, flush with ambition, “I’m taking on the very best in the division.” The fighter made it clear that he’s heading into his bout against the supremely talented Charlo with laser like focus. “Right now all I’m thinking about is the undisputed world championship,” he said. Sure enough, a win over the the undefeated Charlo would most certainly place Tszyu in spotlight, which is just what the man wants. “Four belts,” he said, “it doesn’t get any better.”
As for his approach, Tszyu was direct and to the point. “Just go hard…just go all in,” he said of his training mentality. “I’m going all in man, no Plan B, just all in.” If there’s someone Tszyu might want a B Plan for, however, it might be the 25-1-1 Charlo. After all, Tszyu had to get off the mat in order to beat Terrell Gausha in his American debut earlier this year. Tszyu, however, is nothing if not self assured. “I’m not going to be sitting on my ass and doing nothing for the next hundred days,” he said. “My thing is to feel good, train hard and everything else sorts itself out.”
Of course modern fighters – at least most of the popular ones – don’t fight nearly as much as they used to. Tszyu hasn’t fought since he bested Gausha back in March. As for Charlo, his last fight was back in May when he knocked out Bryan Castano in a rematch of their 2021 battle. When asked about Charlo busying himself in the fashion world, Tszyu opted to avoid throwing cheap shots. “Let him do whatever he wants to do,” he said. When asked where his own runways were, however, Tszyu responded without hesitation: “Uphill.”
