Soon-to-be WBO world super-welterweight world champion, Tim Tszyu has expressed that he would be interested in facing current undisputed welterweight world champion and pound-for-pound number one Terence Crawford.
Tszyu will be elevated to full WBO world champion status as soon as the opening bell rings when Jermell Charlo steps up two weight divisions to challenge for undisputed world title glory against Canelo Alvarez on September 30th.
Tszyu was the mandatory challenger for Charlo for almost two years, with the pair being previously slated to face each other in January of this year. However, Charlo succumbed to a hand injury, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the mandatory title fight between the pair.
Crawford dazzled and impressed as he dismantled unified world welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr in nine rounds to add the WBA, WBC & IBF world welterweight titles alongside his WBO world crown and become a two-weight undisputed welterweight champion.
Spence does have an immediate rematch clause which he can activate within thirty days from the moment he was defeated last Saturday night if he wishes to do so. Crawford has expressed an interest in moving up to 154lbs and challenge for even more hardware if Spence does indeed pass on the opportunity to face Crawford once again.
If Crawford does indeed move up a weight class to 154lbs, he will find himself automatically as a mandatory challenger to Tszyu under WBO rules due to his status as world champion in the weight class below.
Russian-Australian Tszyu has welcomed the prospect of him facing Crawford sooner rather than later.
“Ask him. Go ask him if he’s ready … that’s the real question,” Tszyu said to Fox Sports Australia.
“To be mentioned as the next fight for the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, that shows the level I’m at right now.”
Tim was complimentary about Crawford’s performance in Las Vegas against Spence while suggesting that, in his opinion that something seemed wrong with Spence from the opening bell.
“Master class,” Tszyu said. “It was like watching a magician -- that’s what it felt like. And Errol Spence, he was all out of control. His balance was shot.
“The bloke was just, I dunno … he didn’t look right even before the fight. And immediately, Crawford was in control. Countered everything, fought beautifully. Simple boxing.”
Post-fight, Spence did suggest that his immediate future is set to re-commence at super-welterweight, of which Tszyu, when asked by Fox Sports Australia, immediately spoke confidently of wanting to fight Spence but admitted that the prospect of that fight happening is unlikely.
“So I’d still love to fight Errol Spence,” Tszyu said. “Love to fight Spence. But they won’t do it. It’s too much of a high-risk fight for him. High risk, low reward. What does he get out of it?”
