Newly crowned WBO Junior Middleweight champion Tim Tszyu will stake his title against interim champion Brian Mendoza in Australia this weekend. Tszyu was billed to fight former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. Still, instead, Charlo vacated the 154-pound strap and made a failed bid for the undisputed super middleweight championship against Canelo Alvarez. Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza have been quite active this year, scoring impressive victories in previous bouts. The undefeated champ, fighting at home in Australia, is the bookies’ favorite.
BOXING: WBO Junior Middleweight championship
Venue: Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia
Where to watch: SHOWTIME
Date: 15.10.2023. 06.00
Tim Tszyu
The Sydney native is undefeated in seventeen professional fights. Tim Tszyu became the interim junior middleweight champion when he stopped former world champion Tony Harrison in March, winning the bout with a ninth-round TKO. Three months later, the 28-year-old needed only seventy-seven seconds to dispatch Carlos Ocampo in his defense of the interim title. In September, Tszyu was elevated to full WBO champion after Charlo vacated. Tim’s father is the legendary boxing Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, an undisputed 140-pound champion. The younger Tszyu has seventeen knockouts from twenty-three fights.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’ 9”
- Weight: 154 Ib
- Reach: 70.5”
- Record: 23-0
There was no celebration, no nothing when Charlo stepped in the ring against Canelo and I became world champion. I’ll feel like a world champion once this fight with Mendoza is done.
Brian Mendoza
The American is one of the fastest-rising talents in boxing. Turning pro in 2014, Brian Mendoza won his first eighteen consecutive fights. The 29-year-old is currently on a three-match winning streak, with his last fight a telling upset over Sebastian Fudora last April to bag the WBC interim super welterweight title. Since dropping a decision to Jesus Ramos in September 2021, the New Mexico native has scored three stoppages.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 29
- Height: 5’ 10”
- Weight: 154 Ib
- Reach: 70”
- Record: 22-2
Fighting for the world title is an incredible opportunity, and I’ll be ecstatic when I win because the dream isn’t just to fight for the title; the dream is to bring it home to my family.
Betting Odds
Tim Tszyu is the massive favorite to win. Backing Brian Mendoza to cause another upset is priced at 5.25 on Bet365. The favorite is 1.61 for the KO/TKO. Over 7.5 rounds is 1.72 on 1XBET, with the under at 1.98 odds. Yes, for the fight to go the distance is 2.375 on Betwinner. The No is priced at 1.5 odds.
