Jermell Charlo vs. Tim Tszyu set for January 28th

Jermell Charlo's first defense of the undisputed light middleweight championship will come next year against Tim Tszyu.

'Iron Man' became the unified 154 pound titleholder earlier this year following his knockout victory over Brian Castano. The bout was a rematch of their controversial July 2021 bout, which ended in a split-draw.

However, Charlo exhibited complete dominance down the stretch in their rematch, eventually scoring the finish. With the victory, he picked up the WBO light middleweight title. This made Charlo the seventh male to be a four-belt undisputed champion in boxing history.

Now, it seems that he has a name and a face for his return to the ring. Earlier this year, Australia's Tim Tszyu was named the mandatory challenger for the unified championship. It seems that the bout is now official, and they finally have a date for their meeting.

As first reported by ESPN Ringside's Mike Coppinger, Charlo and Tszyu will meet next January at a venue to be determined. The event is expected to take place in the United States and is being carried out by the Premier Boxing Champions.

PBC currently has network deals with Showtime and Fox, but it's unclear which network will carry the bout. However, fans can expect details on how to watch the clash in the months to come.

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Will Jermell Charlo defeat Tim Tszyu?

Jermell Charlo has opened up as a heavy favorite against Tim Tszyu. As of now, the champion is expected to retain his title next year against the Australian.

It's hard to argue against the betting odds, as 'Iron Man' is coming off the greatest performance of his career. While his first encounter with Castano was close, Charlo dominated and stopped his foe in the second outing.

Meanwhile, Tszyu is a solid boxer who is only getting better. 'The Soul Taker' is currently undefeated as a professional, sitting at 21-0 in his career thus far. He has solid victories over names like Jeff Horn and Dennis Hogan.

However, Tszyu is currently seen as too inexperienced and raw to challenge in the top ranks of boxing. While his talent has been on display on many occasions, he still lacks a lot of skills found at the highest level.

While he may reach the top level sooner rather than later, it still seems too early for the 27-year-old.