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<\/p>\n
While no opponent has yet been announced, it\u2019s understood an Australian fighter will be catapulted into what now becomes a huge co-main showdown.<\/p>\n
On Friday morning, famed US trainer Ronnie Shields \u2013 who works with both Spence and Charlo \u2013 revealed talks were already underway with \u201cthe powers that be\u201d about getting the undefeated two-division champ on the July 26 event.<\/p>\n
The trainer added that promoters No Limit were already seeking out a suitable Australian opponent.<\/p>\n
Speaking with The Punch Podcast on Friday, Shields stressed that while nothing had yet been signed off regarding Charlo (34-0), the former champ was keen to throw down against an Australian rival.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s understood the deal has now been signed off.<\/p>\n
Given 36-year-old Charlo has campaigned at both middleweight and super middleweight recently, potential Aussies set to be named as the opponent include the likes of Michael Zerafa, Dylan Biggs, Koen Mazoudier, even undefeated young star Callum \u201850 Cal\u2019 Peters.<\/p>\n
Charlo is currently ranked at No.4 among WBA super middleweights, and No.6 with the WBC.<\/p>\n
Jermall Charlo and Tim TszyuSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Apart from being a huge addition to the card, Charlo will also become a key training partner for Spence, who is expected to arrive into Australia at least two weeks before the headliner.<\/p>\n
The fighter dubbed Hit Man will also add an intriguing new element to the event build given his twin brother\u2019s long-running feud with Tszyu.<\/p>\n
Shields was midway through an interview on Friday about all things Tszyu-Spence when he let slip that talks were already underway to have Charlo be part of the huge card, which will most likely take place in Sydney.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I found out \u2018Mal may be fighting on the card too,\u201d Shields said. \u201cIt\u2019s not 100 per cent just yet, but there is a possibility he will be fighting on the card.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely against an Australian. I don\u2019t know yet [who], I just found out it\u2019s a possibility and they\u2019re looking for opponents now. They\u2019re going to let me know if it can work out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shields stressed money was not an issue for bringing Charlo out here, and added the fight was about getting him back into another world title shot \u2013 while also providing support for Spence\u2019s comeback fight against Tszyu.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019s been training really well for the last month,\u201d the coach continued. \u201cThere was talk about him maybe going in August but, like I said, I\u2019m trying to make a push to see if they can put him on in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t talked to anybody [officially] yet. It\u2019s just my thinking that maybe I can get him on that card.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my idea. It\u2019s all on me. I just gotta talk to the powers that be.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they\u2019re telling me there is a possibility he can go in August, but for me it makes more sense to put him on in Australia against somebody from there.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot would [still] have to happen. We would have to have the perfect opponent.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd while he can\u2019t make the money that he normally would make, we understand that. So we\u2019ll have to wait and see if they even consider my idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shields added that having Charlo on the card would prove a huge asset for Spence\u2019s preparations.<\/p>\n
\u201cErrol and Jermall are really good friends,\u201d he continued in The Punch Podcast interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey talk all the time. Hang out all the time. So it\u2019s going to be a good deal. And if I can push the powers that be to do it, I think it will help Errol a lot. Jermall being there with him will be great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only last month, Jermell Charlo said he was not only backing Tszyu to upset Spence in Australia, but would happily take on \u2018The Phoenix\u2019 immediately afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Tim Tszyu wins that fight,\u201d Charlo told The Last Stand Podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatch the fight when he fought Tony Harrison and destroyed him. Styles make fights. I\u2019m just being realistic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not hating on nobody. I don\u2019t care if he\u2019s black, white or Mexican. I\u2019m talking about stylistics \u2026 I\u2019m saying that I see Tim Tszyu winning this fight, plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, Charlo wants in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can go and knock him out after I knock out [Sebastian] Fundora — or we can do that fight first,\u201d he said. \u201cWhoever comes first is who we are going to go with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlo revealed his team is already exploring options across the division, with talks underway for bouts against Tszyu, Fundora or Spence.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of them three guys have agreed to fight me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tszyu, meanwhile, would also certainly welcome the fight, and confirmed to Fox Sports Australia recently that the pair have \u201cunfinished business.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Aussie has also taken aim at Charlo\u2019s performance against Alvarez, suggesting the former champ doesn\u2019t fight with heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really see that savage,\u201d said Tszyu. \u201cI\u2019ve never really seen him as a savage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen some world champions who are savage, you know? Beast mode. But I\u2019ve never seen that in Charlo.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE:<\/p>\n
\u2018Fight of the Year\u2019: Aussie boxing queen locks in mega showdown against unbeaten superstar<\/a><\/p>\n Burgess\u2019 bizarre fight build-up as bush footy moment goes viral; Jake Paul\u2019s shock Aussie plan<\/a><\/p>\n No Limit CEO George Rose has already said he would welcome the bout against Charlo after negotiating for it to take place twice before.<\/p>\n \u201cCharlo\u2019s been the long-standing king at 154, never lost in the division,\u201d the promoter said last year. \u201cThat\u2019s a fight which is long overdue for Tim.\u201d<\/p>\n Way back in 2003, Jermell Charlo described the decision to give Tszyu his WBO super welterweight title as \u201cf***ed up\u201d \u2013 and branded the move as a show of favourtism.<\/p>\n The decision came after the American \u2013 who was then still undisputed super welterweight king \u2013 decided to brush a Tszyu fight for the second time in favour of a showdown with Canelo Alvarez.<\/p>\n Tszyu had initially been slated to challenge Charlo in January of that year, however the Texan cancelled after fracturing his left hand during a sparring session shortly before Christmas.<\/p>\n WBO executives then announced the champion would have to face Tszyu before September 30, however he instead opted to go up two weight classes and take the more lucrative Canelo fight.<\/p>\n Paro ready to be the ‘Croc Hunter’ | 00:41<\/p>\n Charlo was soundly beaten in the September, 2023 headliner and has not fought since.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Shields also said he had been trying to make a fight between Jermall Charlo and Caleb Plant for six moths.<\/p>\n \u201cBut here\u2019s the problem, the first couple of months he said \u2018I don\u2019t have a trainer \u2026 so I can\u2019t take nothing without a trainer\u2019,\u201d Shields said of Plant. \u201cSo now it\u2019s been six months and he still don\u2019t have a trainer. So we just say forget Caleb Plant for now.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tim Tszyu\u2019s hyped July blockbuster against Errol Spence Jnr has taken a shock twist, with the American superstar\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701442,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-701441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}