TIM TSZYU will fight for a world title in his next fight.
The IBF has mandated the Australian super-welterweight to face their champion, Bakhram Murtazaliev, at a date and time to be finalised. Murtazaliev won the vacant title—recently held by former undisputed champion Jermell Charlo—by beating Jack Culcay with an 11th-round knockout on April 11 in Germany.
Eleven days earlier Tszyu suffered his first loss in a unification matchup against Sebastian Fundora. The split-decision defeat in Las Vegas ended Tszyu’s five-month WBO title reign and saw the 6ft 5 ½ins Fundora also pick up the WBC title in the process.
During the fight, Tszyu suffered a horrific cut, which has kept him out of the ring since then and cancelled his proposed August 3 bout against Vergil Ortiz Jr in Los Angeles.
American Erickson Lubin had been linked to a fight against Tszyu on September 22, but Lubin’s representatives informed the IBF that the fighter would not be “medically fit” to fight.
Australia’s Main Event Television were first to get Tszyu’s reaction to his world title news.
“Been patient for a long time and to finally hear that it’s coming that we finally got the news – it’s good, it’s making me pumped,” he said.
Asked for his opinion on the new IBF champion, Tszyu said: “He’s a world champion for a reason but in this level and the level that I aspire to be you’ve just got to take them all out. One by one they will all fall. I’m looking forward to the challenge wherever this is.”
