SYDNEY — The newly crowned WBO champion and Australian professional boxer Tim Tzyu will be defending his title against Brian “The Giant Killer” Mendoza this Saturday in Sydney Australia at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A hand injury kept the 28 year old Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) from active boxing for four years and from September 2023, he has held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-middleweight title.
A win for Tsyu or Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) will form a launchpad for the big leagues and might even offer future fights in 2024 against either Jermell Charlo, or Canelo Alvarez in 2024.
“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,” said Tszyu in media reports.
“Once he gets you — and he’s a finisher and everything — but I think just based off the facts I have more explosive shots,” said Mendoza after a workout in Sydney on Monday in media statements.
Mendoza, from New Mexico who has won three fights in a row, now fights in Las Vegas. In April, Mendoza defeated the unbeaten Sebastian Fundora in the 7th round with an incredible one punch knockout to win the the interim WBC title.
“I was cold at the time. I didn’t get a good warm-up. Everything was a bit different,” said Tim Tszyu in media reports about being dropped by Terrell Gausha in the first round of their fight last year.
The bout will be screened on showtime from Sydney, Australia on Saturday, October 14th, at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Edited by Virginia Van Zandt and Newsdesk Manager
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