Tim Tszyu will be watching closely when Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño go head to head in their blockbuster fight.
The Australian is the No. 1 mandatory contender for Castaño’s WBO super welterweight belt and is one of just a few boxers who could fight the unified champion later this year.
“Castaño can make things rough – he’s unpredictable – whereas Charlo is more of a classical type of boxer,” Tszyu told Main Event’s Ben Damon.
“I’m not expecting anything spectacular from Charlo – he will use his jab – and I think he will probably get the points win without looking too amazing.”
And the payday would be massive if Tszyu does get to fight the winner, although a bout with Englishman Liam Smith appears a more likely next-step.
Tszyu’s promoter George Rose told The Sun-Herald in April he would be prepared to spend $10 million to land a fight with either Charlo or Castaño.
Triple world champion Charlo fights for an undisputed global super welterweight title on Sunday when he faces Argentina’s Castaño at San Antonio, Texas.
The fight will mark the first time all four major 154-pound crowns — Charlo’s WBA, WBC and IBF titles and Castaño’s WBO belt — will be up for grabs at the same time.
Charlo (34-1 with 18 knockouts) won his WBC crown over fellow American Tony Harrison in December 2019 — avenging his only career loss — and took the others last September with an eighth-round knockout of Dominican Jeison Rosario.
Charlo is willing to put all his titles on the line in his fight against Castaño.
“My experience inside and outside of the ring has all led up to this,” he said.
“Now is the time for me to put it all on the line.
“This is huge. It’s a legacy fight for me and I’m ready for it.
“This is a major fight because it’s history for me … the belts and the money are not on my mind. What’s on my mind is the legacy.”
Castaño (17-0 with one drawn and 12 knockouts) defeated Brazil’s Patrick Teixeira by unanimous decision last February to claim the WBO crown.
“This is the fight of my life,” Castaño said.
“I’m out for glory. I want to be the first in history to be undisputed champion at 154 pounds in the four-belt era. This will be the hardest fight of my career.”
Making the fight even more intriguing is the belief that if Charlo wins, he will relinquish his four titles and move up to the middleweight division, where his twin brother Jermall Charlo hold the WBC title.