Tim Tszyu's hit list now points towards boxing's faded names

Tim Tszyu’s career direction is under scrutiny after he defeated Errol Spence Jr. and immediately identified Jermell Charlo as the next name on his target list. The 31-year-old Australian former WBO junior middleweight champion has also placed Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez below Charlo, although both appear difficult to reach.

Spence had been out of the ring for almost three years before facing Tszyu. Charlo, meanwhile, has boxed only once since May 2022 and has never competed at middleweight. That makes the proposed fight possible, but it would continue Tszyu’s recent pattern of choosing familiar opponents whose activity has fallen well below that of current contenders.

The shift followed two defeats in 2024. Sebastian Fundora took Tszyu’s title by split decision in March after an accidental elbow caused a serious cut, with Tszyu fighting while blood affected his vision. Seven months later, Bakhram Murtazaliev dropped him several times before stopping him in the third round, leaving no similar opening for an explanation.

Tszyu has since moved from seeking the strongest available opposition to facing established names returning from long periods away. The financial reward from the Spence bout may have encouraged that approach, but a Charlo victory would do less to establish him among the leading middleweights than a fight with an active contender in his prime.

Yoenli Hernández and Denzel Bentley are identified as more meaningful tests because both would show how Tszyu performs against active natural middleweights. A meeting with WBA champion Erislandy Lara would offer a route to a respected titleholder. Tszyu’s popularity in Australia gives him leverage to pursue any of the four middleweight champions without spending years in eliminators.

Crawford has retired, while Canelo fights at super middleweight and has access to larger contests. Their names may add status to Tszyu’s shirt, but Charlo is the only one of the three that appears attainable. For now, crossing Spence off the list represents a win over a former star, followed by the selection of another opponent whose best work belongs further back in his career.