Jermell Charlo and Tim Tszyu previewed their highly-anticipated showdown
“Y’all know what I do and y’all know what I go into the ring to do. It’s a ‘don’t blink’ situation. That’s just who I am.” – Charlo
“There’s going to be a new king of the division on January 28… Keep those belts shiny, because I’m coming to grab them.” – Tszyu
Undisputed Super Welterweight World Champion Jermell Charlo and unbeaten No.1 contender Tim Tszyu previewed their highly-anticipated showdown during a virtual press conference that got testy on Tuesday before they rumble for real live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, January 28 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions Event.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions, TGB Promotions,
No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers are on sale now and can be purchased through AXS.com.
One of the most anticipated matches of 2023, Charlo vs. Tszyu sets up to be the latest of many memorable clashes in the recent history of the stacked 154-pound division. Charlo earned his position as undisputed champion by stopping Brian Castaño in May and unifying all four titles. He will look to add another big name to his pound-for-pound resume against the Australian star Tszyu, who hopes to join his father Kostya Tszyu as an undisputed world champion. In a fortuitous stroke of chance, Kostya fought for his first world title in Las Vegas on the same date 27 years ago that Tim will now face Charlo in his first championship bid.
Here is what the virtual press conference participants had to say Tuesday:
JERMELL CHARLO
“I’m excited to be in the ring. This is how I feed my family and I’ve done significant things in this sport. I get to choose who I want, but I want to challenge myself. With every fight I step up to the plate to challenge myself, not my opponents. Y’all know what I do and y’all know what I go into the ring to do. It’s a ‘don’t blink situation.’ That’s just who I am.
“I knew that once I got to this point in my life, that I’d face nothing but top tier guys. That’s all I want. I don’t underestimate anyone, but Tim Tszyu is not the same caliber as I am. His father has done things in boxing, but my pedigree is strong. My pedigree is proven and has been destined for many years.
“Tszyu is young and hungry but I’m young and hungry as well. I’m in the prime of my life and I’m going to challenge myself on January 28.
“I’m thankful for my experience in the ring and in life. Every fighter gets in the ring to give the performance of a lifetime. If he’s studied me, he would know that I’m a different fighter in every fight. I know how to adjust and make them precisely. I take care of my brain, my body and my mind. It’s important to me.
“What I possess is undeniable. I’m very humble at the end of the day because we all come to win. There’s much respect to any boxer who comes into that ring. But I’m different. I’m different than anybody else in the pound-for-pound list. I still don’t get the respect that I deserve, but I don’t worry about it. I keep that same energy.
“I’m about my business. I’m not arrogant. I’ve been through humbling lessons that he knows nothing about. I’m not worried about anything he says.
“People come out to see me because I’m entertaining. I am who I am. I worked my ass off my whole life. I didn’t just start this. I’m more dedicated now than I’ve ever been. I like when my opponents talk, because I’ve been able to shut up a lot of people.
“Nobody is ready for me in my division. Everybody is training and says they’re ready. We’re just going to go in there and entertain the people.
“I can stay in this division for my whole career. I can’t predict the future, but I’m ready to get it on as fast as y’all are ready to see it. I make this weight easily. Boxing is a lifestyle for me. We’re going to enjoy it later.
“Every fight is a legacy fight for me. I stand strong by that. I have a good team and a great support system. I’ve been in competition ever since I was born and raised with my twin brother. I’m a different genre.”
TIM TSZYU
“There’s going to be a new king of the division on January 28. I can promise non-stop action. Keep those belts shiny because I’m coming to grab them.
“This fight has been a long time in the making for me. I’ve been chasing this, so I’m glad that it’s finally come. I’m excited to get this opportunity. Christmas and all of that doesn’t matter right now. There’s only one task in mind. I came to America for a purpose. Not to just come here for the fight. My plan is for victory. I came here to adapt a bit earlier and I’ll be 100 percent ready on January 28.
“When I first was told about the date, I didn’t realize that was the same date my father fought for his first world title. I don’t usually believe in fate. I think destiny and fate is something that you have to work for. For me, I feel like it doesn’t matter about the bloodline. It’s about what you, yourself put into it. I’ve been eyeing this fight for two years now. It’s been in the back of my mind and I’ve been studying and obsessing over it. I’ve been pushing for this hard. This is the test that I need in my career. This is it for me, kill or be killed.
“As soon as I went down against Terrell Gausha, I dominated the rest of the fight. Terrell Gausha isn’t a bum. They didn’t just find him out of nowhere. He’s a talented opponent who went to the Olympics and had a great career. Tyson Fury has been down. Some people go down and get right back up. That’s what it’s about. Whatever life throws at you, just get back up. That’s been my mentality.
“Yes, my father will be in attendance for the fight. It will be good. He hasn’t been to any of my fights for logistical reasons since my first fight. To have people who have been there and done that, it brings a cool energy.
“I’m not here for a debating contest to say who’s going to win and how I’m going to beat him. This isn’t debating for me. I just have to show it in the ring. That’s it. It’s quite simple. I possess a lot of skills as well, so that’s all that’s needed. January 28, we’ll show it.
“This is the toughest test out there. Jermell is the king of the division. This is the benchmark. But if you want to be great, you have to do great things and this is part of it.
“This fight just feels like normal to me. Of course, the occasion is going to be big. It doesn’t get any bigger than undisputed. It’s like the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals. I’m nice and relaxed. I’m taking it day by day, but to me, it’s like any other fight.
“In Australia, it was sort of like I was a big fish in a small pond. Now, it’s completely different here in the U.S. It’s sink or swim now. You’re in the big ocean and this is where it all matters.
“I just want to inspire as many people as I possibly can through boxing. We get a lot of attention and a lot of people tuning in, so if you can turn that into a positive energy and change their lives, that’s the main thing.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
“As strong and exciting of a year as 2022 has been, we’re confident that 2023 is going to be even bigger and better. We’re not wasting any time. We’re going to kick it off with two massive fights in January. Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia January 7 on SHOWTIME PPV®. And then, January 28, the undisputed super welterweight title is at stake when Jermell takes on Tim Tszyu.
“The last time we had Jermell on SHOWTIME, he delivered in a Fight of the Year type performance that was the most-watched fight on SHOWTIME in several years. We expect an even bigger TV audience for this fight.
“There’s a narrative that’s often espoused in boxing that the top fighters aren’t fighting each other. That’s not a narrative that I subscribe to and I think it’s demonstrably false. But even if you believe in it, that certainly can’t be said of these two fighters themselves. If you look at Jermell’s last few fights, he’s cleaned out the 154-pound division. Top fighter after top fighter. Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout, Tony Harrison, Jeison Rosario, Brian Castaño. Not just victories, but decisive victories.
“Jermell is without question a top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. There are some outlets that surprisingly don’t have him as a top ten pound-for-pound fighter, and if you don’t, you’re not doing it right. That’s indefensible. Jermell is without question one of the top fighters in the sport. He’s proven that time and time again.
“Tim Tszyu is certainly no slouch either. Tim could have certainly said that he’d like to fight a couple more times in the U.S. and work his way up to Jermell. But he didn’t do that, very much in the spirit of his father who took on all comers, who took on tough fight after tough fight in some of the most iconic fights in SHOWTIME history. Tim is following in his footsteps. He demanded this fight. He wanted this fight and he didn’t waste any time looking for tune-ups. Now, you have two of the top fighters in the division looking to go at each other.”
