On Foxtel’s Main Event and Kayo Sports, all eyes will be on WBO World Champion-in-waiting Tim Tszyu, as he squares off against interim WBC world champion Brian Mendoza. The bout is scheduled for Sunday, October 15 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia.
Tim Tszyu will defend the WBO super-welterweight world title on Australian soil. The 28-year-old boxer has been promoted to full champion status, an announcement to follow Jermell Charlo’s fight with Canelo Alvarez on September 30. The WBO’s decision marks Tszyu’s first defense of the WBO super-welterweight title.
The plot thickens if the WBC follows the WBO’s playbook and strips Charlo of the title. In such a scenario, Mendoza would climb the ranks, turning the match into a world title unification bout. Tszyu is no stranger to the ring, having defeated former WBC world champion Tony Harrison in Sydney in March and world-rated Mexican Carlos Ocampo on the Gold Coast in July. This fight will be his third in just seven months.
Mendoza knocked out the previously unbeaten Jeison Rosario in November of last year. More recently, he triumphed over Sebastian Fundora, capturing the WBC interim-title at 154-pounds with a brutal knockout. A 29-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mendoza is shaping up to be Tszyu’s toughest opponent so far, renowned for his crushing power and his ease in assuming the underdog role.
The October 15 bout has more riding on it than just the titles. The winner will eye an undisputed title fight against Jermell Charlo, assuming Charlo decides to return to the division post his September 30 match.
Tim Tszyu’s adrenaline is already pumping, and the fight is still weeks away. His expectations? Nothing less than an all-out battle. He’s candid and confident as he lays it all out, saying, “I’m expecting a war, and I’m expecting Mendoza to test me more than any other fighter. He’s got this dual power in his hands, and he loves being the underdog. Coming to Australia? That won’t phase him. But don’t expect the crowd to show him any love.”
Mendoza’s not shy either. He knows what this fight means, and he’s just as ready for the clash. “This was the fight to be made, the one that had me amped from the get-go,” he declares. “You know what they say—styles make fights. And our styles? They’re made for a banger. We’re not just in this to play around; we go in looking for the fight, throwing down heavy hands, chasing those killer knockouts—the kind people watch over and over again”