Tim Tszyu vs Brian Mendoza set for October 15th

In what has to be either a first or a profound rarity, Tim Tszyu has set up his inaugural title defense before officially claiming the title he’s definding. No Limit Boxing announced yesterday evening that Tszyu, the reigning WBO interim super welterweight champion who will be elevated the moment Jermell Charlo steps into the ring to fight Canelo Alvarez, will battle interim WBC champion Brian Mendoza on October 15th.

With Charlo doing his own thing, this is undoubtedly one of the better matchups the division has to offer. Tszyu (23-0, 17 KO), fighting for the third time in seven months after impressive finishes of Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, is seemingly committed to proving that he’s the next Man (tm) at 154. Mendoza (22-2, 16 KO), coming off a career-best Knockout of the Year candidate against Sebastian Fundora is aggressive and durable enough to make Tszyu earn it.

It’s also technically BoxRec’s #1 vs. BoxRec’s #2 at super welterweight since Charlo dropped out due to inactivity. Not some be-all end-all metric, obviously, but a fun factoid.

No location or Stateside broadcast partner yet, but it’s a safe bet it’ll be Showtime or some part of the Fox umbrella.

Tim Tszyu said, “I’m expecting a war and I’m expecting Mendoza to test me more than any other fighter. He has power in both hands and has shown he thrives off being that underdog, so I doubt coming to Australia will bother him but don’t expect a single person to be cheering for him.”

“This was the fight to be made and the only fight that had me pumped up. Styles make fights and it has the potential to be a banger because we both go looking for the fight, have heavy hands and chase those killer knockouts everyone loves to replay over, and over, and over again.”

“The road to undisputed continues, it’s just going to take a little longer. But trust me, the journey to get there will be way sweeter.”