Tszyu on Charlo: ‘He probably thinks in his delusional head that he’s going to beat me’

WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) successfully defended his title on Saturday night by defeating Brian Mendoza by unanimous decision from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

Tszyu repeatedly hurt Mendoza to win by scores of 116-111, 116-112 and 117-111.

The Australian native landed 38% of his power punches, but Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs), who won three straight fights, which all ended in stoppages, could take the punishment and showed a lot of toughness.

Tszyu pounded on Mendoza in the fifth in perhaps the most lopsided round of the fight, landing a left uppercut and left hook that left a bruise under Mendoza’s right eye.

The 28-year-old landed a right hand with 30 seconds left in the eighth that Mendoza soaked up and somehow remained upright as Tszyu wrested control of the fight. Midway through the seventh, Tszyu landed a stinging right uppercut that snapped Mendoza’s head up, but he held on and survived the round. 

With Mendoza out the way, Tszyu made it clear who he wanted next: unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo.

“Charlo, where you at? Where you at, buddy?” Tszyu said. “He probably thinks in his delusional head that he’s going to beat me. Come get it. Come get it...

“He fought Canelo, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s the best 154-pounder. So, let’s prove to everyone who really is the king of the division.”

If Charlo can’t get a fight with undisputed 147-pound champion Terence Crawford, he should fight Tszyu next. That fight is much more interesting than it was after Tszyu was dropped in his U.S. debut against Terrell Gausha. However, Charlo is still the favorite going into that fight.