We have been waiting and waiting to see Jermell Charlo defend his 154 pound titles and his supremacy at the weight against Tim Tszyu for a while now. For various different reasons, the fight has been postponed more than once, and now, with Charlo’s hand still healing, the unbeaten Tszyu will stay busy with a fight against Carlos Ocampo this weekend. Charlo, 35-1-1(19) and inactive since May of last year, spoke about Tszyu last night on Showtime, and the unified 154 pound champion had some pretty odd things to say about the man he is now expected to fight around September or October time.
Charlo, who like Tszyu has fought Tony Harrison (twice, Harrison beating Charlo by decision in fight-one, with Charlo scoring a late KO in the return meeting), said he thinks that “something ain’t right with him [Harrison],” as in there was something not right with Harrison when he fought Tsyzu and was stopped back in March of this year. Charlo has a pretty far-out and bizarre theory on what might have been wrong with Harrison.
Charlo suggests the tap water in Australia may have aided Tszyu, this because the water down under has an amount of salt in it.
“Something about Australia,” Charlo began. “I know for a fact he (Harrison) didn’t have his business orientation as well. They probably put him up in a nice hotel …. they have nice hotels all over the world…but the secret thing about Australia is they got a little salt in their water. So just rehydrating is going to be bad. Just by the way you losing your weight, cutting then putting salt water in your body, you holding on…..maybe the weight cut was the issue. I’m not trying to make an excuse for him but…..it’s a little different over there.”
I don’t know about you, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard a fighter say the water in Australia can affect the outcome of a fight there. Many fighters from overseas have boxed in Australia and they have never said anything at all about the water ‘down under’ (or if they have I never read it, please enlighten me if you know of a fighter who pointed to the water in Australia as a factor in the outcome of their fight).
Charlo insists he has far too much talent for Tszyu and that he will beat him when the fight finally happens. Some people, however, feel Tszyu, with his cool, confident approach, has gotten under Charlo’s skin a little. Who knows?
But Charlo again had some pretty odd things to say when describing his own brilliance in the ring:
“I definitely know for a fact that nobody else in boxing has what I possess in the ring, especially at my weight,” Charlo said. “I’m a much larger fighter than people think. My arms are faster and longer, I pack a different punch, my lateral movement is ridiculous. I can’t sing, but I can dance. I’m an artist in the ring.”
One would think, listening to Charlo, that he was an undefeated fighter. He isn’t, and Tszyu and his supporters feel Charlo will lose for a second time when the delayed fight finally takes place. The way he’s been talking, one can only imagine the excuses Charlo will make should he lose to Tszyu!
In the meantime, let’s see how Tszyu, 22-0(16) gets on with Ocampo, 35-2(23) at the weekend.