Las Vegas — Jermell Charlo’s bout with Tim Tszyu has been postponed after the undisputed super welterweight world champion broke his hand in training, promoters said.
American Charlo, who holds the WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA belts, became the undisputed champion when he knocked out Brian Castano in May.
After his win over Castano, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) ordered Charlo to defend his title against undefeated Australian Tszyu.
“Tszyu was set to take on undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo on January 28 in Las Vegas, however Charlo was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a broken hand in training camp,” Tszyu’s promoters, No Limit Boxing, said in a statement on social media.
“There is currently no new date for the rescheduled match. A new date will be announced soon,” he added according to Reuters.
Tszyu, 28, is the son of Russian-born former boxer Kostya, who stunned Zab Judah in 2001 to claim the undisputed light welterweight crown.
harlo said he knew something was wrong as soon as the punch landed.
“I felt my hand throbbing right away,” he said. “I had two x-rays and an MRI to see what was wrong … I hate this feeling.
“I’m as disappointed as the fans, maybe more, because this was my first chance to defend the undisputed title.
“The way I am, I would have beaten Tim Tszyu with one hand, but the doctors and the boxing commission won’t allow that. It’s even more dangerous when a lion faces adversity and has to come back to defend the pride.
“I’ve been training since July, and I’ve been hitting harder than ever, and these are the things that happen when you push yourself to the limits. After my hand heals, I’m coming back stronger than ever to defend my legacy.”
Unsurprisingly, Tszyu too was disappointed. “I felt like the stars aligned for undisputed … but we move on,” he said.
“I’m ready to take on the next mandatory challenger. I’ll be back for Charlo once he is ready and healed.”
No new date has yet been announced.
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