By BoxingScene Staff
December 26, 2022
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Tim Tszyu impressed Derrick James during his most recent victory over Terrell Gausha.
Tszyu suffered a first-round knockdown, but he quickly recovered and regained control of their 12-round match March 26 at The Armory in Minneapolis. Australia’s Tszyu stunned Gausha with a right hand of his own in the third round and out-pointed Gausha on all three scorecards to keep himself in position to fight for the WBO junior middleweight title.
James, who trains Jermell Charlo, applauded Tszyu’s toughness when asked about their upcoming title fight during a recent interview with BoxingScene.com.
“I think he’s a great fighter, man,” said James, who also trains undefeated, unified welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. and unbeaten lightweight contender Frank Martin. “I think he’s very tough, very resilient. He showed that he can get up off the canvas and win a fight, and I think that’s a very big thing.”
When asked if Tszyu would be able to get off the canvas versus the heavier handed, more complete Charlo and continue in their fight, James admitted that will be a more daunting assignment for the undefeated contender.
“It’s two different people,” James said. “I didn’t say that. I just said he’s done it before. This is a different level fight, definitely. Different level, different arsenal. I mean, I love Terrell Gausha, but this is a different fighter, different fight.”
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) has separated himself from Cleveland’s Gausha (22-3-1, 11 KOs) and every other junior middleweight in boxing by becoming their division’s first fully unified champion of the four-belt era.
The Richmond, Texas resident has lost only a debatable 12-round unanimous decision to Tony Harrison. Charlo also knocked out Detroit’s Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) and Argentina’s Brian Castano (17-1-2, 12 KOs), who fought him to a controversial 12-round split draw in July 2021, in their rematches.
Charlo added Castano’s WBO belt to the three titles he already owned when he knocked out the previously unbeaten former champion in the 10th round May 14 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The 32-year-old Houston native is consistently listed as almost a 3-1 favorite to defeat Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) in their 12-round fight for Charlo’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 154-pound championships.
Charlo-Tszyu was scheduled headline a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader January 28 from Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena. The event was postponed on Friday, when it was revealed that Charlo broke his left hand in training camp.
Tszyu, 28, is the WBO’s mandatory challenger for one of Charlo’s four championships.
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