It’s not the fight Tim Tszyu envisioned, nor earn🐈ed. ;
But it’s still the fight he needs.
The rapidly rising jun⛎ior middleweight contender – and son of the legendary Kosta Tszyu – had earned himself an undisputed title fight against Jermell Charlo, who owns all four belts in the division.
The 28-year-old Tszyu, an Australian native, made his debut in America against Terrell Gausha last March in a title eliminator and won by unanimous decision to i🌼mprove to 21-0, making him the mandatory challenger to Charlo’🍸s crown.
Currently, Charlo is🐎 one of just three undisputed champions across all of boxing, and there have been just nine male undisputed champions in the four-belt era.
Tszyu was on the verge of history.
While preparing for their bout, however, Charꦿlo broke his 💧hand while training in December and was forced to withdraw.
Despite doing enough to earn an undisputed title fight, Tszyu would now have ♏to win again.
And history would have to wait.
So Tzsyu pivoted to 32-year-old vetera𒐪n Tony Harrison (29-3).
They meet 𝄹Saturday night in a 12-round junior middleweight🐬 bout as the main event on Showtime’s card (10:45 p.m. Eastern) at Qudos Bank Arena in Tszyu’s hometown Sydney, Australia.
Winner gets Charlo, and the chance to establish himself among the top 𝓡of boxinജg’s hierarchy.
“Because he beat Charlo,” Tszyu told The Post, when asked why he chose Harrison as his next option. “He’s the only man to beat Char♈lo. If you dispose♈ of Tony Harrison, the only man to beat the man, then it’s just fate from there.
“It was easy, man. It was easy. The fact that I had such an ✃opponent as Tony Harrison in front of me, it was real easy. People are interested. This is the next big fight to make for me. All of Australia is going wild right now, we’re getting worldwide exposure.” 🥀;
Harrison ꦦfamously defeated Charlo at Barclays Center in 2018 to win the WBC junior middleweight title, the only loss in Charlo’s illustrious, and perhaps one day Hall of Fame, career.
Charlo claimed back his title in a rematch one year later, although most believed Harrison was winning on the scorecards before🤪 he was knocked out in the 11th round.
Yes, the prize for a 𝓡win may have changed, but♏ the stakes certainly haven’t for Tszyu.
This is a career-defining b✤out, for both fig൲hters.
Tszyu and Harrison are ranked No. 3 and No. 4 at junior middleweight by Ring Magazine, res♉pectively.
“This is for sure my toughest test, 100 percent,” Tszyu♎ said. “Stylistically, and he’s been around, what he’s achieved. This is it, man. Thi🌟s is the biggest fight… He’s gonna be a great threat, this is what I’m here for. I’m here to take on the biggest challenges, to make the biggest fights possible, and come away with the victories.”
Gausha, a former Olympian, previously delivered Tszyu the toughest challenge 💃of his care💟er, dropping him in the first round.
Though he cruised in the bout afterwards, it was the first time Tszyu had hit the canvas in hiꦛs so-far dominant care🤡er.
“The biggest thing, th✅e lesson I learned is don’t rush,” Tszyu said. “You can’t make mistakes at this level. It only takes a split second. It was good to be able to face adversity at such a young age, and I was able to bounce back. It was a good lesson, though.”
While Charlo looms as Tszyu’s ultimate ques🌊t inside the ring, America looms as his greatest challenge outside of the ring.
The Gashau bout was ꧃his only fight outside of Australia, 🦩where he is already a household name and budding star.
Toꦑ rise from budding star to superstar, however, Tszyu knows there’s much more to be con🗹quered.
“It was a task that I haven’t achieved y🏅et,” Tszyu said. “It was like a new country that you’ve got to take over. I’ve done ❀it here in Australia, and it’s a great feeling, but there’s a big world out there that’s there for the taking… I’ve always wanted to be in America to fight, that’s always been a dream of mine. After this one, I’ll be back.”
If all 𝐆goes to plan, with Charlo in the opposite corn𝓡er.
