Newly-minted world champion Tim Tszyu has a star-studded hitlist in mind to cement his status as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best.
The Australian was at the weekend upgraded to full titleholder at super welterweight with the WBO after undisputed champion Jermell Charlo was stripped of his belt by the organisation.
Tszyu takes on Brian Mendoza on the Gold Coast on Sunday, October 15 in what will be a maiden world title defence.
Can’t get to the fight? Watch Tim Tszyu’s title defence LIVE on Kayo PPV
Should he win, the Mendoza fight is expected to be Tszyu’s final fight in Australia for some time, with the bright lights of Las Vegas beckoning.
Tszyu has long spoken of wanting “legacy fights” and he’s got three names in particular in his sights – Jermell Charlo, Terence Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Having chased Charlo for more than a year, Tszyu looked to have finally secured his shot at undisputed glory before he was left standing at the altar when the American took on a fight with super middleweight king, Canelo.
Despite Charlo moving up two weight classes, boxing fans were still left underwhelmed by his performance against Canelo at the weekend, as the Mexican megastar brushed aside the challenge without breaking a sweat.
Charlo now looks set to return to the 154-pound division and Tszyu is desperate to be the one to welcome him back.
“I hope he does [return to super welterweight],” Tszyu told Sporting News.
“I’ll be waiting, I’ll be knocking on the door. Let’s go.”
Charlo still holds the other three belts in the division and could be tempted by the opportunity to become a two-time undisputed champion by facing the winner of Tszyu versus Mendoza.
MORE: What’s Jermell Charlo’s next move after frustrating Canelo performance?
Next on Tszyu’s list is another undisputed champion in Crawford.
“I would love to [fight Crawford]. All my respect to him,” Tszyu said.
“I think he’s a top dog in the division, he’s done everything possible and he’s rated in the top three, pound for pound? Just behind Canelo Alvarez, in my opinion.
“So a fight like that, I would welcome it.
“Something you dream about – fighting someone in the top two, top three, pound for pound, that’s what life’s all about.”
The Nebraska-native recently swept the welterweight division with a one-sided stoppage victory over the previously undefeated Errol Spence.
Crawford has flagged his interest in moving up to super welterweight for a fight most assumed would be with Charlo, although he appeared to cool on that idea following the weekend’s bout.
Ok y’all I’m over @TwinCharlo he’s no longer on my hit list. He went out there and laid down and let Canelo spank him like he was his daddy with no type of resistance.😂
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) October 1, 2023
A win over Mendoza would ensure Tszyu remains firmly in the picture for a date with Crawford should the two-weight undisputed champion wish to join the 154-lb ranks.
Finally, Tszyu has his eye on doing what Charlo couldn’t and taking down the legendary Canelo.
“The legacy is something that you dream of as a kid,” he said.
“The top pound for pound fighters in the world, moving up weight divisions and stuff like that.
“The big goal for me is the Canelo Alvarez fight. Triple G [Gennady Golovkin] type status.
“I think every kid dreams of that.
“So if you don’t aspire to fight on that level, then you’re doing boxing for the wrong reasons.”
But before he can think about how to defeat Canelo, Tszyu must deal with a hungry Mendoza on a three-fight knockout streak and, for the first time, he’ll be fighting as a defending world champion.
Some corners of boxing’s parochial fandom, and Charlo himself, have already sent barbs of “paper champion” or “email champion” Tszyu’s way, due to him not having won his title in the ring.
The undefeated 28-year-old has a simple response to that criticism.
“It was presented itself because of the consequences of my opponent, so it is what it is,” he said.
“I’m going to win many, many more world titles in the future anyway, so it doesn’t really bother me.
“I think the whole purpose of this whole journey towards what I’m doing is not because of belts, but it’s because of passion and what drives me.”