‘Die on your shield’ - Tim Tszyu’s message to Jermell Charlo after Canelo defeat

In his first fight in 16 months, Charlo was out-muscled by a stronger and fitter Canelo over 12 rounds in his bold move up two weight classes to super-middleweight.

Canelo’s body shots early on lead to a seventh round knockdown, before the Mexican superstar cruised to a third defence of his unified super-middleweight crown.

Tszyu, who has a long history with Charlo, wasted no time in calling for a fight with Charlo next year.

“Charlo should fight me,” he said. “Once I get past Mendoza, that’s the fight to make, unless he wants to sit around for another 12 months.”

Tszyu watched the fight at home in Sydney, and wasn’t impressed with Charlo’s performance in a one-sided decision defeat.

“I felt Charlo went in there to survive,” Tszyu said. “He moved around, was working on defence, but he never made it competitive. He never went out there and said, ‘I’m gonna have a go at it’.

“He never pushed it, just moved around backwards.

“Good on him for surviving the 12 rounds, but it’s not an achievement to lose the fight. You’ve gotta go out there and win, or die on your shield.

“When I play a game of basketball or a game of chess, I want to win everything. If it means going out on your shield, so be it.

“That’s just how competitive I am with everything I do. I’m not there to take part, I’m there to crush bones and win, in everything.”

Tszyu was scheduled to fight Charlo earlier this year before the American pulled out with a broken hand.

A rescheduled world title fight then fizzled out when Charlo moved up two weight classes to fight Canelo.

Tszyu became WBO super-welterweight world champion the moment Charlo stepped into the ring, with the sanctioning body stripping Charlo and elevating the Aussie from interim to full world champion.

Charlo – who still holds the WBC, WBA and IBF super-welterweight world titles – was open to fighting Tszyu, but quickly poured cold water on that potential match-up by calling out Terence Crawford.

“I guess the winner of him (Tszyu) and Mendoza – whoever I’ve gotta fight,” he said when asked what was next. “I want to fight whoever.

“I want to fight Terence Crawford. I’ll fight Terence Crawford in my division.”

Asked in his post-fight press conference about a showdown with Tszyu, Charlo explained his thinking, while continuing to mispronounce Tszyu’s last name.

“It’s about fighting the best fights and making the most money at this point in my career,” he said.

“Fighting Brian Mendoza, or Tazoo – who’s got an Australian fanbase – it’s just not as satisfying to me.

“I’ll listen to my coaches and follow the plans of my management and go from there.”

Charlo hit out at the WBO, hinting that his issues with the sanctioning body began while he was recovering from his broken hand.

“I would like to talk to somebody from the WBO,” he said.

“I was off with a hand injury, and from the moment my hand got injured, the WBO sent me like 30 letters, and had me going back and forth to the doctor, randomly having to prove to them with MRIs, cat scans, x-rays.

“They must have a relationship with the people in Australia.”

Tszyu wasn’t the only one underwhelmed by Charlo’s performance.

Crawford, who annihilated Charlo’s training partner Spence in July to unify the welterweight division, was in the crowd in Las Vegas, and let his feelings known.

“You went out sad,” Crawford posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Didn’t even try to win, all you did was try to survive.

“You should be ashamed of yourself.”

In a follow up post, Crawford shut the door on a fight with Charlo.

“Ok y’all, I’m over (Charlo), he’s no longer on my hit list,” he wrote. “He went out there and laid down and let Canelo spank him like he was his daddy with no type of resistance.”

Earlier -

Saul Canelo Alvarez has defended his super-middleweight titles with a completely one-sided domination of Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas.

Charlo entered the fight full of bravado, but he was out-muscled over 12 hard rounds, fighting back from a seventh round knockdown.

Canelo took the initiative from the second round onwards, landing a huge amount of thunderous body shots to the former undisputed super welterweight world champion.

Canelo retained his IBF, WBC, WBA and IBF belts with scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109 to become the only fighter to defend the undisputed title three times in the four belt era.

Canelo’s power - particularly his attacks to the body - told the story of a one-sided win.

“I’m a strong fighter all the time, with all fighters. Nobody can beat this Canelo,” he said.

“We worked to go for the body. He knows how to move around the ring, but we worked for it for three months.

It was Canelo’s work to the body that opened space for him to land a big overhand right which forced Charlo to take a knee.

“I worked all the fight to go to the body, then I changed up the punch,” Canelo said.

“That’s what happened.”

Charlo claimed he “wasn’t me” in the ring, before claiming he’d move back down to super-welterweight next.

“I felt like I wasn’t me, he said. “I don’t make excuses. It’s boxing, you win some, you lose some, it is what it is.

“Truthfully, you could feel the difference in the weight. I went up 14 pounds. I’m undisputed in my division, I’m trying to be great.”

The other winner is Tim Tszyu, who was elevated from interim to full world champion when Charlo stepped into the ring.

Charlo said he planned on moving back to super welterweight, and was open to fighting Tszyu, but immediately called out Terence Crawford.

“I guess the winner of him (Tszyu) and Mendoza,” he said. “I want to fight whoever. I want to fight Terence Crawford. I’ll fight Terence Crawford in my division.

“I’m waiting.”

As it happened:

Round 12: More of the same, with Canelo pressuring, walking forward and going to the body. Charlo tries to stay on the outside, throws a few jabs and the occasional haymaker, but is well out of the fight.

Round 11: “You’ve gotta go get him. He’s tired.” That’s Charlo’s corner’s advice for him after telling him he’s losing. Easier said than done.

Charlo swings some hopeful overhand rights, but nothing lands. One round left.

Round 10: Canelo maintains this high pace, and lands a big uppercut on Charlo’s chin in the corner.

Fair play to Charlo, he has a decent chin. He’s just lacking the size and power to muscle Canelo around, and also to absorb some of these body shots.

Charlo actually did connect with a few in the ninth. He looks dangerous when he can punch in combinations, he’s just not being allowed to.

Round Nine: Charlo’s corner did the tactical water spill in between rounds, getting their man an extra few seconds to recover as officials wipe it up.

It’s just relentless pressure from Canelo. Charlo has no idea where the punches are going to land - head or body - and he’s getting hit everywhere.

With three rounds to fight, it’s hard to see where Charlo wins, other than a lucky left hook.

Round Eight: It was definitely a tactical knee from Charlo in the seventh. Canelo keeps stalking forward in the eighth, throwing massive bombs.

Charlo is being bullied in there. He can barely throw anything without copping big counters to the body, which he obviously hates.

Round Seven: Into the second half of the fight. Charlo goes down!!!!

A huge overhand right sees Charlo go down after a bit of a delayed reaction.

Strange knockdown, Charlo got rattled, and dropped to his knees very slowly before continuing.

Canelo going for the kill with 1:45 still to go. Charlo fought back really well to survive the round and even land two left hooks as Canelo got a bit wild.

Round Six: Rounds five and six have been better for Charlo. He seems to have relaxed a little. He’s moving better and is landing a few jabs and combos. But it’s still Canelo in control.

Round Five: Charlo targets Canelo’s body, looking to slow him down. But Alvarez walks through them, and lands a big left hook to Charlo’s chin.

Charlo is on his bike for most of the round, attempting to stay out of danger, but did land a nice combination towards the end of the frame for his best moment of the bout.

Round Four: We’ve rarely seen canelo this aggressive this early. Charlo lands a nice counter left to the chin though.

Very good first four rounds from Canelo. Interesting to see if he can keep up this pace if the fight lasts into the final rounds.

Round Three: Canelo stood up between rounds. Interesting. Charlo finally starts trying to get his shots off first. It’s jabs and straights from the American, while Canelo is throwing with full power, especially to the body.

Already, Canelo’s power is causing Charlo issues. He’s worried. Those body shots will be telling very soon.

Round Two: Canelo landed a big one-two with Charlo on the ropes early in the round. Canelo’s throwing with big power here. Canelo goes to the body too, with Charlo not doing enough to worry the Mexican.

Round One: Very quiet, cagey opening round. Only 23 punches thrown in total as Canelo stalks the centre of the ring and Charlo stays out of danger.

2:57pm - Round one is underway!

2:51pm - Tim Tszyu is officially the WBO super welterweight world champion.

The WBO announced it would strip Charlo of the title the moment he stepped into the ring. Australia has another world champion.

2:50pm - Canelo makes his ring walk. It’s a typically extravagant affair, with rappers, a big entourage and all of his belts coming with him.

2:45pm - The anthems are done and Charlo is on his way to the ring. He walks out in a black robe with brother, Jermall in his entourage.

2:35pm: It’s almost main event time!Ringwalks coming up.

2:30pm: There’s been massive controversy in the co-main event, with veteran Erickson Lubin earning a shocking decision win over rising star Jesus Ramos.

Ramos totally dominated the early half of the bout, while Lubin landed just 91 total punches.

Still just 22, Ramos faded over the final four rounds, but the vast majority of viewers felt he’d done more than enough to claim a straight forward decision win.

“There’s gotta be a mistake,” the commentary team said after the decision was announced.

Even Canelo was shocked by the result.

Showtime’s cameras were on the Mexican superstar when the verdict was delivered, and he looked as confused as everyone else with the decision.

“I don’t know where to begin,” said Steve Farhood, Showtime’s ringside scorer.

“Lubin wasn’t really doing anything, so I’m really mystified by this decision.”

Lubin felt he deserved the win, despite his post-match interview nearly being drowned out by boos.

“I’m happy about it. It’s boxing 101, I was hitting and not getting hit,” he said. “I was tired of him calling me a gatekeeper.

“I deserve top fights. I don’t want wany young-uns, I want top fights.

“I controlled the fight, I didn’t let him land and I won the fight.”

Jermall Charlo on hand of super fight

Jermell’s brother, Jermall is in the building, and was spotted in the dressing rooms offering support to his twin.

There had been questions all week about whether middleweight world champ Jermall would be in attendance.

The boxing brothers have a complicated relationship, and according to Jermell, “don’t see eye-to-eye.

“It has a lot to do with what he wants in life and what I want in mine. It’s two completely different things.”

Jermall was absent during the entire build-up to the fight, with Jermell saying he didn’t need his brother’s energy involved.

“One day hopefully we speak again, but right now, I’m just not in a moment or a mood to wanna deal with that havoc that he brings,” he said.

The pair shook hands and hugged as Jermall spoke a few words to his brother just an hour before the biggest fight of his life.

1:10pm - Mario Barrios has claimed the WBC interim welterweight world title with a one-sided unanimous decision win over former world champion Yordenis Ugas.

In Barrios’ first real test since moving up to welterweight, the Texan dropped Ugas in the second round, and nearly forced the fight to be stopped after Ugas’ eye became badly swollen.

The ringside doctor checked Ugas several times, and he had a point deducted for spitting his mouthguard out, before Barrios won with scored of 117-108, 118-107 and 118-107.

Undercard result could spell trouble for Michael Zerafa

11:50am - Young middleweight Elijah Garcia has stolen the show on the undercard, beating Jose Resendiz with an entertaining eighth round stoppage.

It was all action, all heart while it lasted, but southpaw Garcia always had the upper hand courtesy of his brilliant right hand before referee Tony Weeks stopped the action.

The result could potentially be bad news for Australian Michael Zerafa.

The WBA inter-continental title was on the line, and it was also an official WBA middleweight title eliminator.

WBA champion Erislandy Lara is scheduled to make a voluntary defence against Danny Garcia later this year, and Zerafa - who was Lara’s mandatory - has been promised a fight with the winner after stepping aside earlier this year.

Those plans may have just been thrown into turmoil after Garcia’s win on the Canelo-Charlo undercard.

Garcia is a 20-year-old rising star of the sport and has put together an impressive 16-0 record in three years.

He says his goal is to win a world title before his 21st birthday, and the WBA is his most likely option to achieve that goal. Zerafa could be the man standing in his way.

Zerafa most recently fought in December last year, scoring a unanimous decision win over Danilo Creati in Sydney.

Zerafa was in line for a fight with IBF world champion Esquiva Falcao earlier this year, but walked away from it in favour of chasing the WBA belt.

Meanwhile, Canelo and Charlo are both in the building.

11:15am - The action is underway from T-Mobile Arena, and the undercard sees some really exciting fights.

Earlier on the card, Terrell Gausha - a former opponent of Tim Tszyu’s - scored a majority decision win over KeAndrae Leatherwood. The eight rounder was Gausha’s middleweight debut after he was out-pointed by Tszyu in Minneapolis last year.

Porter’s big Tszyu call

Former two-time world champion Shawn Porter believes Jermell Charlo took the less riskier option of fighting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at super middleweight rather than taking on Tim Tszyu at super welterweight.

Speaking on the eve of one of the biggest boxing matches of 2023, Porter - who has commentated Tszyu’s last two fights - says Charlo’s team saw less risk in taking a fight against Canelo at 168-pounds than against the Aussie at 154-pounds.

“(Tim) is the real deal, and I just truly don’t believe Jermell Charlo wanted that,” Porter told Main Event’s Ben Damon. “Being on the lay-off that he was on, it does make sense for him to come back against a juggernaut at 168 pounds. There’s a lot of reasons and excuses.

“This loss - which is what I expect, and I want to be respectful, but I expect a loss against Canelo Alvarez - it’s more understandable and accepted than a loss against Tim Tszyu, which I really don’t think they wanted to take the chance on having.”

Pushed on whether he felt Charlo was ducking Tszyu, Porter said: “I did not say that, I just said it makes more sense for Jermell Charlo to get in there with a juggernaut like Canelo than having a rough night.

“I’ve seen Tim, he’s not an easy night for anybody.”

What time is Canelo vs Charlo in Australia?

The broadcast starts in Australia at 11am (AEDT).

We’re running well behind time, so don’t expect to see Canelo and Charlo fighting until 2:30pm AEDT. 

How to watch Canelo vs Charlo in Australia

The blockbuster bout can be viewed on Main Event and Kayo Sports PPV.

It costs $39.95 and is available to order now.

Canelo vs Charlo undercard

Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo - IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO super middleweight world titles
Jesus Ramos Jr. vs Erickson Lubin - super welterweight
Yordenis Ugas vs Mario Barrios - welterweight
Elijah Garcia vs Armonda Resendiz - middleweight
Frank Sanchez vs Scott Alexander - heavyweight
Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Isaac Rodrigues - light heavyweight
Terrell Gausha vs KeAndrae Leatherwood - middleweight
Curmel Moton vs Ezequiel Flores - super featherweight

How Charlo can beat Canelo

Tim Tszyu is tipping Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to do a number on Jermell Charlo this weekend, but has outlined a way for the American to upset the bookies and beat the Mexican superstar.

Charlo should have been fighting Tszyu next month, but blindsided the entire boxing world by announcing his move up two weight classes for a big money bout with Canelo instead.

It’s left a bitter taste in Tszyu’s mouth, with the Aussie adamant he’ll make Charlo pay at some point in the future.

But for this weekend, Tszyu – who takes on Brian Mendoza on the Gold Coast on October 15 – says Canelo will outclass Charlo.

“I’m predicting Canelo to win, I think he’s an all-time legend,” Tszyu told this masthead. “I think Charlo and Canelo aren’t in the same sentence in my opinion.

“Charlo will move around a lot. He’ll try move, jab, move, and throw a few counter shots. That kind of boxing.

“I think Canelo will be able to catch on. He’s very good at being able to read his opponent. Once Charlo gets on the ropes and sits for too long, I think that’s where Canelo will get his best work done.”

There has been a lot of talk about the size difference between the pair, with Charlo moving up two weight classes and six kilograms from super-welterweight to super-middleweight to take the fight.

Despite that discrepancy, Charlo has considerable height and reach advantages, to the tune of 10cm.

However unlikely it is, Tszyu – who most recently destroyed Carlos Ocampo in 77 seconds in June – thinks there are things Charlo can do to win the bout.

“Just frustrating Canelo, and making him pay for his mistakes,” he said. “Then, just moving. Running.

“I don’t think he’s going to bring the fight to him, I think he’s going to run.

“If you look at Canelo’s body type, his core is so strong. It’s thick. If you look at Charlo’s body type, he’s a bit taller, but his torso is like a twig.”

Regardless of what happens between Canelo and Charlo on Sunday, there will be good news for Tszyu.

As soon as the bell rings at T-Mobile Arena, the WBO will strip Charlo and elevate Tszyu from interim to full world champion.

Then, a win over Mendoza sets the Australian on the path to untold riches and glory in mega-fights around the globe.

But, having been left out in the cold when Charlo pulled out of their scheduled fight earlier in the year with a broken hand, then being blindsided by Charlo’s move up in weight, the Sydneysider isn’t planning too far ahead.

“This boxing is crazy. There’s not one pathway, it’s a spider web,” he says of his future plans.

“I’ll wait with anticipation. I’ve got my job to do first, but you never know what will happen in the future.”

Tale of the tape

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez:
Record: 59-2-2 (39 KO wins)
Age: 33
Height: 173cm
Reach: 179cm
Belts held: IBF, WBA Super, WBC and WBO super middleweight world titles
Last fight: UD win vs John Ryde on May 6, 2023 (super middleweight)
Last loss: UD loss vs Dimitri Bivol on May 7, 2022 (light heavyweight bout)

Jermell Charlo:
Record: 35-1-1 (19 KO wins)
Age: 33
Height: 183cm
Reach: 185cm
Belts held: IBF, WBA super, WBC, WBO super welterweight world titles
Last fight: 10th KO win over Brian Castano on 14 May, 2022
Last loss: UD loss to Tony Harrison on 22 December, 2018