‘I want to chase glory:’ Tim Tszyu chases last hurrah in Australia at weigh-in for Brian Mendoza world title fight

Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza have both made the weight limit ahead of their highly anticipated WBO super welterweight world title fight on Sunday on the Gold Coast.

Tim Tszyu (AUS)

Record: 23-0 (17KOs)

Age: 28

Weight: 69.44kg

Height: 174cm

Reach: 183cm

Brian Mendoza (USA)

Record: 22-2 (16KOs)

Age: 29

Weight: 69.85kg

Height: 178cm

Reach: 178cm

World champion Tszyu tipped the scales at 69.44kg at The Resort in Pacific Fair in Broadbeach.

Mendoza, the taller man by 4cm, was bang on the super welterweight limit of 69.85kg.

“I live for these moments and tomorrow night we get the job done,” Tszyu said before a tense, lengthy face-off against Mendoza, before smiling and shaking hands.

“We’re both ready to go,” Tszyu said.

“I’m just here to put on a great show,” a smiling Mendoza said.

Tszyu is defending the full WBO title for the first time since being promoted from interim champion after Jermell Charlo was stripped of the belt.

The Australian world champion is unbeaten in his 23 professional fights and is on a two-fight knockout streak.

“I’m not overthinking things,” Tszyu later told Fox Sports, “I’m more relaxed [than normal]. I feel in full control”.

He alluded to this likely being the last time he will fight in Australia and wanting to make the most of it.

“I know this is the last hooray here in Australia,” Tszyu said. 

“It’s hard, but I want to chase glory.”

Mendoza, 29, has a professional record of 22-2 with 16KOs and is on a three-fight winning streak, with his last two victories coming by knockout.

Is Tim Tszyu the world champion?

As of last month, Tszyu is the WBO super welterweight world champion.

In fact, this is the first full world title fight to take place on Australian shores since Jai Opetaia’s IBF cruiserweight title win in July 2022.

Tszyu has twice fought as WBO interim world champion, beating both Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo by TKO, but the interim title is not the big prize — that was held by undisputed champion Jermell Charlo.

As interim champ, Tszyu was in line to fight the American, but Charlo seemingly wanted to fight anyone but “To-zoo” as the American prefers to call him, with the fight postponed on a couple of occasions before being finally cancelled.

Charlo had a 16-month lay-off between beating Brian Castaño and his next fight, when he stepped up two weight divisions to fight at super middleweight late last month against Saúl Canelo Álvarez.

The WBO had enough of Charlo ducking Tszyu and said he would be stripped of his title as soon as he stepped into the ring to meet Canelo, elevating the next in line, Tszyu, to full champion.

Charlo, it’s safe to say, was not happy about it.

“Right now Tim Tszyu is considered a paper champion,” Charlo told Fox Sports before the fight against Charlo.

“A champion that didn’t have to do anything.

Charlo went on to say he would “make quadruple the money he ever will probably see his whole career” by fighting Canelo, but the fight did little to enhance the American’s legacy.

Canelo preceded to utterly destroy Charlo in a virtual shut-out to win by unanimous decision and retain all his belts at 76kg.

Undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford slammed Charlo’s performance, saying he let Canelo “spank him like he was his daddy with no type of resistance” and that he “should be ashamed”.

You say WBO world champion, does that mean?

The WBO is one of four major governing bodies that organises boxing at the world level.

The other major governing bodies are the IBF, WBC and WBA.

At super welterweight, which is also known as light middleweight or, simply, 154 pounds, Charlo remains the world champion in the IBF, WBC and WBA, as well as The Ring magazine’s champion.

Given he has three of the belts, Charlo is known as a unified champion. When he held all four he was considered the undisputed champion.

Mendoza is the current WBC interim champion, which is essentially the second-ranked boxer at the weight in that governing body.

Who is Brian Mendoza?

One thing the understated American is not, is a trash talker.

The WBC interim light middleweight world champion, who has been preparing for his first overseas fight in Sydney before flying to the Gold Coast on Tuesday, has been relatively quiet in the build up.

The friendly, affable American said he has enjoyed plenty of support from boxing fans in Australia too, but expects both things to change on fight night.

“I feel like people who flip the switch a little too early or force it come off corny,” he said on Monday in Sydney.

Tszyu has had a chance to see Mendoza up close, although his attention was probably elsewhere the last time they fought on the same bill.

Mendoza fought early on the undercard of Tszyu’s American debut against Terrell Gausha at the Armoury in Minnesota, beating Benjamin Whitaker by TKO in the fifth.

That was the first of three knockout victories in a row for the 29-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who has a pro record of 22-2 with 16KOs.

Mendoza has been underdog in both his previous contests, and upset the apple cart on both occasions, beating previously undefeated American Sebastian Fundora with a seventh round knockout to claim the WBC interim title.

It’s that kind of one-punch power that Mendoza believes will give him the ability to hurt Tszyu.

“Just based off the facts, I have more explosive shots,” Mendoza said on Monday.

“The thing about me is I have power, but I’m not just a power puncher. I don’t go in there trying to look for one shot. I’ll hurt you for 12 rounds.”

What is the issue with the referee?

It was revealed on Friday by George Rose that the Tszyu camp had a couple  of questions about the referee for the bout.

The referee for Sunday’s fight, after a couple of changes, will be Mark Nelson, the man who was in the middle of the ring when Jeff Horn stunned Manny Pacquiao at Lang Park in 2017.

Austin let plenty go in that fight, which the Tszyu camp was worried could help Mendoza’s hands.

“There was concerns raised from the Tszyu camp … given his history with the Horn fight,” Rose confirmed to ABC Sport on Friday

“We’ve got no say over the referee but it’s something to think about, because that’s going to play into Mendoza’s hands.

“We’re hoping for a good clean fight and if it is a good clean fight, I think it confidently goes Tim Tszyu’s way.”

When is the fight?

The contest is set for Sunday on the Gold Coast, which will mean prime time Saturday night in the USA.

The first fight on the undercard will get underway at 10:30am AEDT (9:30am local time).

The main card of bouts will take place from 12pm AEDT (11am local),

That means Tszyu and Mendoza will make their way to the ring at about 3pm AEDT, although that is subject to change based on the duration of the undercard fights.

How can I watch the fight?

This is a big world title fight and, as such, means you’ll have to pay extra to watch on pay-per-view.

The cost of Fox Sport’s pay-per-view channel Main Event is $59.95.

You can also watch the contest via Kayo.

If you are outside of Australia, you can watch the event on Showtime.

Will there be an ABC Sport blog?

There sure will be.

Join us from the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Sunday from 12pm AEDT.

Who is fighting on the undercard?

As ever with these major events, it’s not just the world title fight that is of interest, but a full range of contests on the undercard.

Entertaining domestic journeyman Wade Ryan (21-11) takes on dangerous Russian Sergei Vorobev (15-1) for the vacant IBF Pan Pacific super welterweight title first up.

Then, Jeff Fenech-trained Hass Hamdan (6-0) will meet Danvers Cuschieri (3-1) in something of a surrogate grudge match for trainer Ben Savva, who has an ongoing feud with Fenech.

Then it’s the heavyweights, with genuine giant New Zealand/American Julius Lloyd Long (18-26-1), standing at a whopping 216cm tall and boasting an insane 229cm reach, takes on Toese Vousiutu (5-1) who is looking to bounce back from defeat last time out.

Nathaniel May (22-3) will take on Jackson Jon England (14-2) for the vacant IBF Australasian super featherweight title.

In the co-main event, undefeated Sam Goodman (15-0) will take on experienced Mexican Miguel Flores (25-4-1), looking to leap into the world rankings ata catchweight of 125lb having previously fought held the IBF Inter-Continental and WBO Oriental super bantamweight titles.

Goodman has won his two previous fights at featherweight but has not fought at the weight since June 2021, seven bouts ago.

Sergei Vorobev vs Wade Ryan — 10 rounds, IBF Pan Pacific super welterweight titleHassan Hamdan vs Danvers Cuschieri — 8 rounds, 64.5kg catchweightToese Vousiutu vs Julius Lloyd Long — 4 rounds, heavyweightShanell Dargan vs Amber Amelia — 8, two-minute rounds, super bantamweightNathaniel May vs Jackson England — 10 rounds, IBF Australasian super featherweight titleSam Goodman vs Miguel Flores — 12 rounds, 125lb catchweightTim Tszyu vs Brian Mendoza — 12 rounds, WBO super welterweight world title