In a surprising turn of events, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has announced that Jermell Charlo, the current undisputed king at 154-lbs, will be stripped of his WBO super-welterweight title. This decision comes as Tim Tszyu, the undefeated Australian contender, is set to be elevated to the coveted WBO super-welterweight champion status.
Tim Tszyu will be elevated to full WBO light middleweight world champion as soon as Jermell Charlo steps in the ring against Canelo Alvarez on September 30, the WBO confirmed on Thursday.
Charlo pulled out of the obligatory Tszyu fight to jump two divisions and challenge Alvarez… pic.twitter.com/qONBUPnV3U
The WBO confirmed this development, stipulating that Charlo will retain his title up until his highly anticipated fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 30. The clash between Canelo and Charlo has been billed as “undisputed versus undisputed,” and the WBO’s decision ensures that the unification bout remains intact. However, once Charlo enters the ring and is officially introduced as the WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion on the said date, his status and recognition as the WBO Champion will be terminated “Ipso Facto.” This will pave the way for Tim Tszyu to be automatically elevated from Interim Champion to Full Champion status.
Per the WBO’s statement:
a) The WBO will sanction Canelo/Charlo scheduled for September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. b) Charlo will be allowed to enter the ring as WBO Champion and be announced as such (WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion). c) After Charlo enters the ring on September 30, 2023, and is officially introduced as WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion, his status and recognition as WBO Champion is terminated “Ipso Facto”. d) After Charlo’s WBO Champion status and recognition is terminated pursuant to above mentioned section (c) this Resolution, Tim Tszyu will be automatically elevated from Interim Champion to Full Champion status.
Tim Tszyu had been eagerly seeking a fight with Charlo ever since the American defeated Castano to unify the division. However, their scheduled bout in January was thwarted when Charlo withdrew due to a broken hand. Undeterred, Tszyu displayed his abilities by securing knockout victories against Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, earning him the Interim WBO title. While the clash with Charlo loomed on the horizon again, Tszyu’s plans were interrupted once more, this time by an unexpected match against Canelo.
Although Tszyu’s next opponent remains uncertain, it is now certain that his next fight will double as his first full world title defense. The WBO’s decision to strip Charlo came after Tszyu publicly expressed his view that the American should be stripped, and it seems the WBO deemed it the appropriate course of action.
As of now, there has been no word on the response from the other sanctioning bodies – the WBC, WBA, and IBF. However, given the public nature of the Tszyu issue, the WBO felt compelled to address it. The other organizations may wait until after the Canelo vs. Charlo fight to see if Charlo chooses to vacate his titles rather than face stripping. Notably, Charlo has not defended any of his titles or fought since his victory against Brian Castano in May 2022, which unified the 154 lb division.
