An undisputed light middleweight championship clash was originally slated for the pair in January 2023, yet a fractured left hand forced Charlo to pull out. The matchup was never put back together, with Charlo choosing to jump up two weight classes to face Canelo later in the same year.
“I spoke directly with Al, and my next opponent is Tim. We are sorting out the venue,” Charlo remarked to boxing journalist Lance Pugmire, according to a report by Fox Sports Australia.
An official fight is yet to be declared, and George Rose, who promotes Tszyu, has openly expressed his preference for a showdown with WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara.
Charlo’s last victory dates back to May 2022, when he halted Brian Castano in their second encounter to claim undisputed status at 154 pounds. Because Castano has remained inactive since that loss, Charlo’s previous triumph feels even more distant from today’s landscape.
Modern boxing enthusiasts might primarily recognize Charlo as the competitor who merely pursued Canelo across the ring for twelve rounds with minimal risk-taking. They might be unfamiliar with the lethal counterpuncher who secured knockout victories over Jeison Rosario, Tony Harrison, Erickson Lubin, and Castano throughout his peak title reign.
During that era, Charlo was a truly world-class boxer. It is anyone’s guess how much of that ability is left after an absence from the ring spanning almost three years.
Tszyu has already garnered a debatable degree of praise for his win over Spence, a 36-year-old ex-welterweight champion coming off a three-year layoff. Going straight from Spence to Charlo would suggest that Tszyu’s run at middleweight is being constructed on famous names whose prime years were spent in lighter weight classes.
Furthermore, Charlo is 36 years of age and has no prior experience campaigning at middleweight. His sole appearance north of 154 pounds resulted in a comprehensive defeat to Canelo at super middleweight.
A clash between Tszyu and Charlo would have carried immense significance back in 2023. By 2026, it serves primarily as a nostalgic event centered around a historic grudge that was never settled inside the ropes.
The narrative remains highly lucrative, especially if organizers market the duel as unsettled scores and present it as a pay-per-view attraction. Aside from financial gain, however, it does very little to cement Tszyu’s status as a top-tier middleweight.
Tszyu stated that stepping up to the 160-pound category boosted his strength and relieved him of the difficult weight cut to light middleweight. If those claims hold weight, his subsequent opponent ought to demonstrate it.
Three of the four primary middleweight championships are held by Carlos Adames, Aaron McKenna, and Denzel Bentley. Lara holds the WBA crown, which provides that potential path with legitimate athletic merit despite his advanced years. The weight class also features numerous ranked challengers who are well-accustomed to competing against natural 160-pounders.
Overcoming any of these fighters would shed light on where Tszyu truly fits in the middleweight hierarchy. On the other hand, conquering yet another dormant figure from a bygone era would merely demonstrate that his management excels at marketing nostalgia.
