Tim Tszyu and Tony Harrison had been desirous to get again within the ring in lieu of ready out separate pictures on the undisputed junior middleweight championship.
The pair of top-rated contenders now flip to one another to fulfill that itch.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that plans are in place for Tszyu and Harrison to fulfill in a battle that can include the interim WBO junior middleweight at stake. The bout will happen on March 12 at a location to be decided in Australia. The present will probably be offered early sufficient domestically to the place it would air reside throughout primetime on Saturday, March 11 in the US, possible on Showtime.
Fox Sports activities Australia’s Ben Damon was the primary to interrupt the story.
Tszyu (21-0, 15KOs) was beforehand resulting from problem undisputed 154-pound king Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19KOs) atop a January 28 Showtime card from Michelob ULTRA Enviornment in Las Vegas. Charlo was compelled to postpone the title protection by not less than two months after he suffered a left scaphoid fracture and fifth metacarpal base fracture based on a December 23 medical analysis. Information of the postponement was introduced on Christmas Eve, with Tszyu decided to simply accept one other battle for the sake of remaining lively forward of his first profession title battle.
The second-generation boxer—whose father Kostya is a Corridor of Fame former undisputed junior welterweight champion—has not fought since a twelve-round win over Terrell Gausha final March 26 in Minneapolis. The battle marked the U.S. debut for the unbeaten Sydney, Australia native, who needed to overcome a first-round knockdown to ultimately outpoint Gausha.
Tszyu accepted that battle whereas ready for the winner of Charlo’s rematch with Brian Castano, who nonetheless held the WBO title heading into their Might 14 undisputed championship unification bout in Carson, California. Tszyu was formally named the WBO necessary challenger final summer time, shortly after Charlo and Castano fought to a twelve-round draw final July. Charlo got here up aces within the rematch, scoring a tenth-round knockout to defend his lineal, WBA, WBC and IBF titles and declare the WBO strap.
With the win got here the inherited WBO title protection whereas Charlo was additionally obligated to subsequent face IBF number-one contender Bakhram Murtazaliev. A deal was struck for Tszyu to get subsequent whereas Murtazaliev—the IBF necessary since a November 2019 title eliminator win—as soon as once more agreed to a step apart bundle that has included appearances on the non-televised portion of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) in every of his final 4 bouts.
Tszyu was granted permission to battle for the interim WBO title throughout Charlo’s medically-excused ring absence. Russia’s Murtazaliev (21-0, 15KOs) was approached by Tszyu as the primary alternative of opponent because the highest-ranked obtainable contender within the WBO 154-pound rankings.
When he wasn’t obtainable for the battle, Tszyu moved on to Harrison, a former WBC titlist who was all too keen to simply accept.
“Waited patiently,” Harrison stated by means of social media in confirming the upcoming battle.
Detroit’s Harrison (29-3-1, 21KOs) is chargeable for the lone defeat on Charlo’s resume, incomes a twelve-round, unanimous determination of their December 2018 WBC junior middleweight title battle in Brooklyn, New York. The 2 had been resulting from meet in a June 2019 rematch, just for Harrison to endure an damage which pushed their second battle to later that December—precisely 52 weeks to the day of their first battle. Harrison led on one scorecard and trailed on the opposite two playing cards by means of ten rounds earlier than struggling an eleventh-round knockout to finish his title reign of their December 2019 scorcher.
Simply two fights have adopted for the 32-year-old Harrison, each coming after the passing of his father and coach Ali Salaam in April 2020 in the course of the early phases of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. In his most up-to-date begin, Harrison soundly outpointed Spain’s Sergio Garcia over ten rounds final April 9 at Virgin Motels Las Vegas. The present was headlined by Sebastian Fundora’s ninth-round stoppage of Erickson Lubin to win the interim WBC 154-pound title of their Battle of the 12 months-level slugfest.
Harrison turned the number-one contender to that title with the win, and was in pursuit of a showdown versus Fundora. The battle was addressed in the course of the annual WBC conference final November in Acapulco, Mexico.
Sampson Lewkowicz, Fundora’s promoter, sought a voluntary protection for Fundora in the course of the rankings portion of the conference, stating that Harrison was not obtainable. That declare was trumped by Alycia Baumgardner, the reigning lineal and unified junior light-weight champion who’s skilled by Harrison and insisted that her stablemate was obtainable ought to the WBC order the battle.
As an alternative, he’ll threat his WBC rating for a harmful task the place a win over Tszyu would entitle him to a trilogy conflict with Charlo.
Per WBO guidelines, Charlo could have 180 days to face the winner of the interim title battle. It stays unclear if the IBF will try throughout that point to implement its personal, lengthy overdue necessary title battle.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox