Tim Tszyu’s hyped showdown with Errol Spence Jr. next month could be just the beginning, with reports claiming American superstar Jermell Charlo is being lined up to face the winner.
According to boxing insider Mike Coppinger, discussions are already underway for the former undisputed champ to meet the winner of the Aussie blockbuster – more than three years after Charlo famously pulled out of his scheduled Las Vegas showdown with Tszyu.
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Charlo, who has spoken about a return to the ring later this year, hasn’t fought since moving up to challenge Canelo Alvarez in 2023.
Despite the lengthy layoff, the 36-year-old American never lost his super welterweight titles in the ring and still considers himself the man to beat at 154 pounds.
Tszyu was meant to face Charlo back in January 2023, only for “Iron Man” to fracture his left hand in two places during sparring and the bout was scrapped.
“Jermell Charlo has not been seen since he lost to Canelo Alvarez. He moved up two weight classes to 168,” Mike Coppinger said on Inside The Ring.
“Now I’m being told, he’s being lined up for the winner of the Tim Tszyu-Errol Spence fight, which is taking place next month [July 26th] in Australia.
“So, obviously, nothing has been done yet. What I’m being told, behind the scenes, Charlo is being lined up for that fight, which will be at 154. And that’s his best weight class obviously. He was the undisputed champion at 154.
“He was the Ring champ there, and he’s been pretty active on social media for the last couple of months talking about in terms of 154.
“And don’t forget, Charlo and Spence used to train together with Derrick James. So a lot of intrigue there.”
Fox Sports Australia reached out to No Limit Boxing for comment on the reported plans, but they declined to comment.
The report comes just weeks after it was announced that Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall, will feature in the co-main event of the Aussie card against a yet-to-be-confirmed local opponent.
Charlo and Spence were once close friends, training together in Dallas under coach Derrick James, but their relationship has deteriorated in recent years.
Earlier this year, Charlo tipped Tszyu to defeat his former stablemate.
“I think Tim Tszyu wins that fight,” Charlo toldThe Last Stand Podcast.
“Watch the fight when he fought Tony Harrison and destroyed him. Styles make fights. I’m just being realistic.
“I’m not hating on nobody. I don’t care if he’s black, white or Mexican. I’m talking about stylistics…
“All I’m saying is that I see Tim Tszyu winning this fight – plain and simple.”
Charlo said he was keen to take on Tszyu afterwards.
“I can go and knock him out after I knock out Fundora — or we can do that fight first,” he said.
“Whoever comes first is who we are going to go with.”
Spence addressed his fractured relationship with Charlo in May following those comments.
“We didn’t really have a falling out,” Spence told a large group of reporters.
“I mean, dude has been jealous of me. I guess he looked at me as like PBC’s golden boy. I’m trying to be solid, man.
“Most times you can’t be solid all the time. You got to listen to your intuition and not mess with people, how you mess with people. That’s just my courage to try to keep it solid, trying to be thorough.
“He mad at me, but we might handle that in the future.”
”The Truth” also questioned Charlo’s drawing power.
“The proof is the pudding – it’s a reason why he hasn’t had a fight yet,” Spence said. “And it’s the reason why I can say, ‘Hey, I wanna fight,’ and then I have a fight tomorrow. You know what I’m saying?
“People are tired of giving him fights, and then you get in the red because he’s fighting and he ain’t got any fans. Like, where can Jermell fight and sell out? He can’t even fight in Houston and sell out. Where is he fighting at?”
Tszyu, meanwhile, would certainly be eager to finally get his hands on Charlo, previously telling Fox Sports Australia that they have “unfinished business.”
The Aussie pay-per-view king has also criticised Charlo’s performance against Canelo Alvarez, suggesting the former champ doesn’t fight with heart.
“I don’t really see that savage,” said Tszyu.
“I’ve never really seen him as a savage.
“I’ve seen some world champions who are savage, you know? Beast mode.
“But I’ve never seen that in Charlo.”
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No Limit boss George Rose would undoubtedly welcome the showdown, having twice worked to bring the fight together in the past.
“Charlo’s been the long-standing king at 154, never lost in the division,” the promoter said last year.
“That’s a fight which is long overdue for Tim.”