Fight fans were really looking forward to the return fight between 154 pound champions Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano. The rematch of last summer’s thrilling, and controversial, draw was set for March 19 but as fans have heard, Castana has suffered an arm injury and the fight has been pulled. Seeing the news, unbeaten 154 pound contender Tim Tszyu – who was to have fought Terrell Gausha on the March 19 card – has put it out there that he is more than willing to step in and fight Charlo for his WBC/WBA and IBF titles.
“We have said all along we won’t sit and wait, we will stay busy, the titles will come in due course,” Tszyu’s team said via an official statement. “So we will work our way through this and keep you all posted. We have put it out there that if Castano is out, we will happily step in and take Charlo. Stranger this have happened. Tim and our team are ready to go regardless of who stands in front of him in the ring in March. We shall see.”
It’s not yet known if the entire March 19 card will be pulled, or just the main event. But Tszyu, 20-0(15) has made it clear he wants to fight and that he is ready to fight. And wouldn’t it be a massive turn of events if Tszyu (son of course of the great Kostya Tszyu) did come in and fight Charlo at four weeks’ notice – and beat him! As his team said, stranger things have happened. If this did happen, though, it’s unclear where it would leave WBO 154 pound champ Castano.
How long Castano will be out of action for we do not know, but Charlo did say this week that he has his doubts about how legit the biceps injury his rival has really is. Let’s see what happens with this one. Charlo, 34-1-1(18) has been called out by Tyszu, but will the champ take Tszyu up on his offer?