Already the WBO interim champion, Tim Tszyu has now effectively sealed himself as the #1 contender for undisputed Super Welterweight champion Jermell Charlo who he was supposed to face earlier this year. Tim Tszyu faced Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo in his home country of Australia where they fought at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, and delivered a stupendous first-round knockout to effectively seal himself as perhaps the best fighter in the division.
While Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO’s) has been out for roughly six months with an apparent hand injury, Tim Tszyu ― Australian the WBO Super Welterweight interim champion who he was supposed to face in the beginning of this year ― has been active and has already recorded two fights this year. After dispatching former world champion Tony Harrison (29-4-1, 21 KO’s) in March, Tszyu’s next victim became Carlos Ocampo (35-3, 23 KO’s) who he faced past Sunday.
Carlos Ocampo, best known for his world title challenge against Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KO’s) in 2018, was a top-rated contender at 154-pounds and seen as a slippery slope for Tszyu who did not require fighting Ocampo to keep his WBO interim title. But showing an uncanny resolve and inability to remain inactive, Tszyu has impressively taken up the challenge to fight two contenders in the span of 3 months, and stopped or knocked out both of them during this period.
Tim Tszyu’s fight with Carlos Ocampo only lasted one round with the two engaged in a heated exchange within just the first minute that ended with Ocampo being knocked down. Following his knockdown over Carlos Ocampo, Tszyu took less than around a quarter minute to finish off the Mexican contender and leave him sprawled across the ropes and unable to continue, resulting in a tremendous Knockout victory for Tszyu.
Given his performance last Sunday, Tszyu now looks like the favorite in the long-awaited clash between him and Jermell Charlo. Though their match has yet to be arranged, Charlo has been notified that he will need to face Tszyu by September the latest or risk losing his WBO title which would subsequently also remove his status as undisputed champion.
“There’s no doubters in America. That’s the land I want to conquer, the land I’m going to next. The big one’s coming up so that’s where I’m headed. I’ve got this interim belt but I’m not satisfied; I want all four.” Tszyu stated confidently following his KO victory over Carlos Ocampo.
Following his performance, Tim Tszyu has not only impressed onlookers as the WBO interim champion but he can safely be considered to be the best contender in line to face Jermell Charlo for all his titles. With four belts set to be on the line, Tszyu can not merely become a world champion for the first time of his career but also become undisputed; a position that his own father Kostya Tszyu had coincidentally attained when he defeated former undisputed champion Zab Judah at Junior Welterweight to become undisputed himself.
