Tim Tszyu puts his WBO junior middleweight title on the line against Brian Mendoza next Saturday night live on Showtime. The card takes place from Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
Tim Tszyu-Brian Mendoza Set For Showtime
Undefeated and reigning WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu will defend his title against Brian Mendoza live in Australia on Showtime.
The bout headlines the Saturday, October 14 card from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. It will also take place under the Premier Boxing Champions banner.
“Tim Tszyu is one of the sport’s busiest stars and will once again look to challenge the best when he faces the fast-rising Brian Mendoza on Showtime October 14 in Australia,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “We’ve seen in recent outings that both of these fighters have the ability to end a fight at any moment, and that should lead to yet another memorable fight in the stacked 154-pound division.”
The 28-year-old Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) will look to continue his red-hot 2023 that began with him stopping former world champion Tony Harrison in March on Showtime in a career-best performance that earned him the interim title.
He followed that up in June with a first-round KO over Carlos Ocampo and was recently elevated to the full WBO champion when former undisputed junior middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo challenged Canelo Alvarez in a losing effort on September 30.
A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. and Showtime debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in March 2022, earning a unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya Tszyu, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
“There was no celebration, no nothing when Charlo stepped in the ring against Canelo and I became world champion. I’ll feel like a world champion once this fight with Mendoza is done,” said Tszyu. “I want to earn it that way Brian and I are both in that top one percent of fighters in the world. He’s a style I haven’t faced before and I know he thrives on that underdog mentality. So, he of course has my respect.
“But he’s in there with someone that’s a different breed and it’s not going to end well for him. I promise to turn any remaining non-believers into believers. This is my time and my division now.”
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and now fighting out of Las Vegas, Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) scored one of the year’s biggest upsets in April as he blasted out the previously unbeaten Sebastian Fundora with a sensational one-punch knockout in round seven, solidifying his own status at 154 pounds by capturing the interim WBC title.
Reinvigorated since teaming with renowned trainer Ismael Salas, Mendoza had previously knocked out former unified 154-pound champion Jeison Rosario in November 2022. Mendoza has won three fights in a row since dropping a decision to highly touted knockout artist Jesus Ramos in September 2021.
Mendoza also owns a 10-round unanimous decision triumph over Thomas LaManna in August 2020 and began his career with eighteen consecutive victories.
“Fighting for the world title is an incredible opportunity and I’ll be ecstatic when I win, because the dream isn’t just to fight for the title, the dream is to bring it home to my family,” said Mendoza. “I’m finishing up training camp and feeling sharper than ever. I’m in the best shape of my life and ready to put on another explosive performance.
“I’m going in there to lay it all on the line, because I know that winning this fight will change my family’s life for generations to come.”
