Jermell Charlo Says Tim Tszyu Is Next — And the Location's Being Sorted

Jermell Charlo is back in the conversation, and he's dragging Tim Tszyu into it. The former undisputed super-welterweight king told reporter Lance Pugmire that his next fight is against Tszyu, that he spoke to Al Haymon himself, and that the two camps are now just hammering out a location. In the same breath, Charlo killed off rumours of an Ortiz matchup, calling that talk flatly untrue.

For Charlo, this would be a return from cold storage. He hasn't fought since September 2023, when he moved up two divisions and got comprehensively outboxed in a challenge for Canelo Alvarez's undisputed super-middleweight crown. That's nearly three years on the shelf for a fighter who once cleaned out 154lbs. Tszyu, meanwhile, is 31 and building momentum — a trifecta of wins on home soil since being stopped twice by Sebastian Fundora, now the WBC 154lb champ at 24-1-1.

Tszyu's Crossroads

The timing is what makes this messy. Tszyu handed Errol Spence Jr the final defeat of his career last month, prompting the Texan to announce his retirement in the aftermath. Off the back of that, Tszyu unveiled plans to move up permanently to 160lbs and go after Erislandy Lara's WBA middleweight title — a fight rumoured for December against the 43-year-old Cuban, who's still holding the strap at 32-3-3.

So which is it? A Charlo fight or a Lara title shot? Both, in theory, can't happen next. There's a decent chance Charlo is being used as leverage in the Lara negotiations, or that Tszyu is lining him up as a first defence should he actually dethrone Lara in December. Either way, having a name like Charlo publicly volunteering himself gives Tszyu options — and options are currency in these talks.

Why It Matters

The middleweight division has been crying out for a marquee draw, and Charlo openly said he wants to breathe life back into it. That's a fine ambition, but it comes with a caveat: nobody's seen him throw a punch in anger since Canelo picked him apart. Ring rust at this level is real, and Tszyu — freshly reunited with Australian legend Jeff Fenech as lead trainer — is a live, active fighter operating at his peak.

For now, treat it as an intention, not a done deal. Charlo says the fight's happening and the location's the only sticking point, but Tszyu's own December plans against Lara complicate that neat picture. If the pieces fall Charlo's way, it's a genuine step up for both men. If they don't, it's a well-timed piece of leverage in a busy negotiating window.