BY JAKE DONOVAN May 09, 2023 Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Tim Tszyu will remain active as he awaits his first career title shot.
No Limit Boxing confirmed that Australia’s Tszyu will take a second interim fight, as he is set to face Mexico’s Carlos Ocampo. Their scheduled twelve-round junior middleweight bout will take place on June 18—a Sunday—atop a No Limit Pay-Per-View event from Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. Tszyu is the WBO mandatory challenger for undisputed king Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19KOs), who continues to recover from a severe hand injury from last December which postponed their January 28 clash in Las Vegas. The delay allowed Tszyu to challenge for the interim WBO 154-pound title, which he claimed in a ninth-round knockout of former WBC titlist Tony Harrison (29-4-1, 21KOs) on March 12 in Sydney. Ocampo (34-2, 22KOs) is not currently ranked by the WBO, though these things have a way of magically getting resolved by fight night.
The bout marks the second straight on home soil for the 28-year-old Tszyu (22-0, 16KOs), a second-generation boxer from Rockdale.
He’d previously spent his entire career in Australia before making his U.S. debut in a twelve-round win over former title challenger Terrell Gausha last March 26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The fight was his first under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner, which was supposed to ease the transition towards challenging for the world title.
Circumstances beyond his control have instead allowed Tszyu to return home, where he has long served as a top gate attraction. His upcoming fight versus Ocampo will mark his first in Queensland since his August 2020 annihilation of former WBO welterweight titlist Jeff Horn, a win which took his career to new heights.
The son of Hall of Fame former undisputed 140-pound king Kostya Tszyu is now eager to land a championship of his own but for now settles for his second fight in three months. Should this fight gain sanction from the WBO, it will mark Ocampo’s second straight chance at an interim title.
For now, it will mark his first career fight outside of The Americas through eleven years as a pro. The 27-year-old from Ensenada, Baja California was last seen giving it a go in a twelve-round defeat to then-unbeaten interim WBC junior middleweight titlist Sebastian Fundora last October 8 in Carson, California. The setback snapped a twelve-fight win streak, all at junior middleweight after a first knockout loss to Errol Spence in their June 2018 welterweight title fight.
The show will also include an IBF junior featherweight title eliminator between Ra’eese Aleem (20-0, 12KOs) and Sam Goodman (14-0, 7KOs). Boxing Scene previously reported that terms were reached between the two camps. The winner will become the mandatory challenger to recently crowned WBA/IBF junior featherweight titlist Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19KOs).
As for the main event, Tszyu—with a win—will remain at the head of the line for a shot at Charlo for all of the 154-pound hardware. A ruling was not yet made on Charlo's compliance with the WBO medical records request or his targeted ring return.
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