Shawn Porter says Jermell Charlo must fight Tim Tszyu, Nikita Tszyu vs. Koen Mazoudier fight details, streaming, how to watch

US boxing star Shawn Porter has hoped that Tim Tszyu will become IBF super welterweight champion later this year before welcoming Jermell Charlo back to the division, saying the former undisputed king is “in a position now where he knows he needs that fight”.

This prediction comes as Porter also praises the continued rise of his younger brother Nikita, who will headline a packed No Limit pay-per-view event in Sydney this Wednesday night against Koen Mazoudier.

“Showtime” quickly became a regular on the Australian boxing circuit and flew to Sydney on Sunday morning to watch the main event broadcast of the latest exhibition fight between the younger Tszyu siblings.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU VS MAZOUDIER | WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST, 7PM AEST | Order now with Main Event from Kayo Sports.

The 26-year-old Nikita is undefeated in all nine fights since turning professional in 2022 and now wants to continue his much-vaunted career start against Mazoudier (12-3-1) – after spending several weeks training in Las Vegas with his brother and head coach Igor Goloubev.

In addition to commentating on several fights with Tszyu, two-time world champion Porter is a huge fan of both brothers, praising them for how well they have handled the “expectation” that comes with their father Kotsya Tszyu being in the Hall of Fame.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia after Sunday's open training sessions, Porter said he was looking forward to addressing Nikita's latest headliner before then turning his attention to Tim, who himself will face reigning IBF super welterweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev in the USA in October.

While the former welterweight champion declined to give a prediction for Wednesday night's fight, he said he has seen some of Mazoudier's previous fights and has now watched him train in person, but he expects a tough fight against Tszyu – who, he noted, also went the full distance in his most recent outing against strong Italian Danilo Creati.

Porter was also ringside at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in March when Tim Tszyu surprisingly lost the title to tall American left-hander Sebastian Fundora – a fight in which the Australian suffered the now infamous blow to the head towards the end of the second round.

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While the former champion said he was “surprised” that The Soul Taker would jump right back into another championship fight – “because that's certainly not common” – he said a comeback win would definitely open the door to a series of big fights for him.

And among them, says Porter, is Charlo.

Previously, Tszyu, now a boxing analyst, said last year that he would never have the opportunity to face the American superstar, who was scheduled to face him twice but was turned down both times.

The first happened on Christmas Day 2022 after Charlo broke his hand while sparring.

Tszyu was scheduled to face the unified king again in mid-2023, but the American opted for a superfight against Canelo Alvarez instead.

Charlo was clearly defeated in the fight against Alvarez – the three scores were 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109 – and has not competed since.

But with Charlo now hinting at a return to the ring, Showtime suggests that should his fellow countryman decide to stay in the division where he was once the unified king, he likely knows he “needs” a fight with Tszyu.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU VS MAZOUDIER | WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST, 7PM AEST | Order now with Main Event from Kayo Sports.

“When Charlo comes back, I don't know if he's going to weigh 154,” Porter began. “Because if he does, he's going to have to kill himself to make that weight.”

“But I also think Charlo might actually be in a position now where he knows he needs that fight with Tim Tszyu.

“So I think Tim could get that fight now.

“I had him on my podcast (last year) and I told him, 'Hey Tim, I'm going to tell you, you're never going to get that Charlo fight.'

“But now I think he could do it.

“Not this year, but next year.

“And especially if he becomes IBF champion.

“That gives Charlo a real incentive to fight him.”

While Porter called Murtazaliev and his team “legitimate,” he stressed that Tszyu proved he has what it takes to be a world champion in his loss to Fundora, in which he fought bloodily for nearly 30 minutes and was practically blind.

“And Tim Tszyu is still rising,” he stressed.

“Tim is not yet as good as he can be.

“And the fact that he’s been in Las Vegas for a month now says a lot.

“I know he's working extremely hard in the US at the moment and has a lot to prove. People are watching him with a magnifying glass.

“But I can’t wait to see him there again.

“I've always said that a loss in boxing shouldn't automatically lead to you being thrown back on the pile.

“We saw the circumstances of the last fight.

“We don’t have to make excuses, but we saw how everything changed after that cut.

“But Tim also proved to me in this fight that he has what it takes.

“He has shown that he has the inner life that is needed, the things that can be seen through his actions.”

Elsewhere in the division, Porter said that while he is unsure what Terence Crawford's next move will be – “it feels like Canelo or nothing, but we'll see” – he also expects Errol Spence Jnr. to sign a contract to fight Fundora and win.

Although Spence was stopped by Crawford in his last appearance in July last year, Porter said the star still has enough power to win Fundora's WBC and WBO crowns.

“I think the fight will be signed and I think it will be an entertaining fight to watch,” he said.

“Errol Spence is still a fighter, even though we saw what happened in his last fight.

“And for some people, that never changes.

“This mentality.

“What they are capable of.

“One thing we have to worry about now, however, is Spence’s impact resistance.

“If his resistance to attack has diminished and he is no longer strong enough to get through, then we will drop out and possibly have problems with Fundora.

“But I don't think that will happen.”