Tszyu to defend interim title vs. Ocampo while waiting for Charlo

Fight from Australia will air on Showtime in the U.S.

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With the return of injured undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo still unclear — but certainly not by June as initially expected — Tim Tszyu will defend the WBO interim belt while continuing to wait for his mandatory shot at Charlo.

Tszyu will face Carlos Ocampo on June 17 (Showtime in U.S., Foxtel Main Event and Kayo Sports PPV in Australia) at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Australia, where it will be Sunday afternoon on June 18, promoter No Limit Boxing announced on Tuesday.

Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs), 28, was supposed to challenge Charlo for the undisputed 154-pound crown on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas but fractured his left hand in two places during training, forcing him to postpone the fight.

That paved the way for Tszyu to knock out former titlist Tony Harrison in the ninth round to win the vacant interim belt on March 12 in Sydney.

Now Tszyu will face Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs), 27, of Mexico, and once again risk his position as the next opponent when Charlo returns.

“Tim Tszyu is a different beast now. He’s the rare breed of modern fighter who isn’t satisfied fighting once or twice a year because he always wants more,” No Limit promoter George Rose said. “So, yes, it’s another massive risk given a shot at Jermell Charlo and becoming undisputed is on the line again, but he’s done it before and we’re confident he can do it again.”

Ocampo is coming off a lopsided decision loss challenging then-WBC interim titlist Sebastian Fundora in October. Ocampo’s other defeat was by first-round knockout challenging Errol Spence Jr. for his welterweight title in 2018.

“I don’t need to fight, I want to,” Tszyu said. “I fear no one and will fight anyone. Carlos Ocampo is the perfect test for me right now as his only losses have been at the very top for titles against the very best. Dad (Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu) fought five Mexicans and beat them all in his career. He destroyed the greatest Mexican fighter of all time in Julio Cesar Chavez and I would love to do the same over my career.”

In the co-feature, Sam Goodman (14-0, 7 KOs), 24, of Australia, and Ra’eese Aleem (20-0, 12 KOs), 32, of Las Vegas, will meet in an IBF junior featherweight eliminator for the right to become a mandatory challenger for IBF/WBA titlist Marlon Tapales. No Limit initially told the IBF it planned to put the fight on June 8 but shifted it when Tszyu-Ocampo was finalized.

In the co-feature, junior lightweight Liam Wilson (11-2, 7 KOs), 27, of Australia, will face fellow former world title challenger Eduardo Ramirez (27-3-3, 12 KOs), 30, a southpaw from Mexico.

Wilson will be in the ring for the first time since getting stopped in the ninth round of an action-packed slugfest with Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title on Feb. 3 in Glendale, Arizona. Ramirez, a former featherweight title challenger, is coming off a second-round knockout loss to Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in a WBC lightweight title eliminator in September.

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Tszyu photo: No Limit Boxing

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