Jermell Charlo Stripped of WBO Title as Canelo Alvarez Fight Commences; Tim Tszyu Crowned Champion
In a surprising turn of events, Jermell Charlo, the former WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO super-welterweight world champion, lost his undisputed status at the very beginning of his fight with Canelo Alvarez. The WBO decided to strip Charlo of his WBO belt, a move that cost him his undisputed status. The unexpected development led to Australia's Tim Tszyu being upgraded to the WBO super-welterweight world champion. Tszyu, with an unblemished record of 23-0 (17 KOs), has been on the radar for a title shot since August 2021 when he was installed as the WBO mandatory challenger for then-champion Brian Castano. The path to Tszyu's elevation took a twist as Charlo faced Castano in a rematch to determine the undisputed champion. Charlo emerged victorious, unifying all four belts, but the WBO's earlier ruling to enforce Tszyu's mandatory challenge remained in place. Charlo and Tszyu were initially set to clash on January 28, 2023, but the fight was postponed due to Charlo's hand injury. Tszyu, meanwhile, claimed the WBO interim belt and remained active with victories over Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo. The WBO made a ruling in August, allowing Charlo to face Canelo Alvarez in an undisputed super-middleweight clash while confirming that Charlo would be stripped of his WBO super-welterweight world title at the moment the first bell rings. As Canelo dominated Charlo in their bout, securing a comfortable unanimous decision win, the simultaneous stripping of the WBO title officially marked Tim Tszyu's ascent to the full WBO super-welterweight world champion. #JermellCharlo #TimTszyu #CaneloAlvarez #WBOChampion #UndisputedStatus #BoxingNews
