After dismantling Tony Harrison in the most impressive victory of his career to date, Tim Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) was asked if he had any message to Jermell Charlo.
The Australian didn’t have much to add. After all, as Tszyu said, the message was already “sent clearly” inside the ring.
“You know what’s up. You know what’s next. I’m coming to America.
“Australia you know, but the world — you know now. What’s my motherf***ing name?”
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Charlo, the undisputed 154-pound junior middleweight champion, was watching back home in America as part of Showtime Boxing’s coverage of the fight.
Tszyu may have received widespread praise for his dominant display against Harrison, the only man to have defeated Charlo, but the Australian’s next opponent was not that impressed.
“He was impressive. He did what he had to do at home,” Charlo said.
“He was a little flat to me but my movement, my style and my power will make him do completely different things. When I get my [left] hand right and get back into the ring for training, put that tape in. That will work.”
Charlo went on to warn he will be a “different animal” to Harrison, who he doesn’t think posed much of a threat to Tszyu.
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“This is exactly what we had seen,” Charlo said.
“He comes forward but is not as fast. He’s strong, of course, but aren’t we all? I’m a different animal in there than Tony.
“I’m a different fighter than Tony. You can’t compare me and try to compare Tony’s skills in boxing. He didn’t dog it out. He didn’t bring that dog in him.
“If he wanted to fight me, he’d have to bring more dog in him. But Tim is next and that’s who we had before the injury so it’s not like I’m not prepared already.”
Charlo is not expecting any real changes from Tszyu ahead of the fight, predicting the Australian will “do the same thing” and relishing the chance to “shut him up”.
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“He doesn’t really show a lot of athleticism to me,” Charlo said, per New York Post’s Jared Schwartz.
“When you’ve got skills, and you’ve got styles and you’ve got power all together, you get four belts. He’s going to be a tough fight because he’s coming forward, but I think he’s perfect for my style.
“I know he can’t take my punch, because I just know my punch is different… It just made me want to fight, just get this over with, shut him up, I’ve shut a lot of them up, it’s just another one.
“He’s going to do the same thing. He’s not going to change much.”