Tim Tszyu’s next fight, boxing world reaction, Jermell Charlo, Shakur Stevenson

Tim Tszyu was favored to continue his undefeated start to his boxing career on Sunday, but not everyone was convinced.

Undefeated American star Shakur Stevenson, for example, said he didn’t see anything “too special” from the Australian and backed Brian Mendoza for the upset.

“I think Mendoza beats Tim Tszyu,” Stevenson said at the time.

“I’m not a big fan of Tim Tszyu

“I really don’t see anything very special about Tim Tszyu.”

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But when the final bell rang and Tszyu raised his hand after a unanimous decision victory, the former world champion took to social media to change his mind.

“I was wrong about Tim Tszyu, he looked better than I thought last night,” Stevenson

» wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Tszyu will now head overseas as he looks to continue garnering respect from the boxing world, with fights against Jermell Charlo and potentially Errol Spence Jr. on the horizon.

It wasn’t just Stevenson who praised the Australian after Sunday’s win, with legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas particularly impressed by his patient approach.

“Tszyu is nothing extraordinary, a very conventional and focused approach. Him and Charlo very interesting. Both are good offensively,” Atlas wrote.

Prominent boxing writer Mike Coppinger, meanwhile, described Tszyu as “must-see television.”

“Strong performance from Tim Tszyu with unanimous decision victory over Brian Mendoza (116-112, 116-111 and 117-111.) This is must-see TV. Never take a step back. Methodical pressure. Impressive victory against a very tough and very playful Brian Mendoza. Tszyu’s power is different,” Coppinger wrote.

Yet Tszyu’s relentless power wasn’t enough to put an end to Mendoza for the first time in his career.

But that certainly says more about the American’s incredible tenacity than it does about Tszyu’s flaws.

While Tszyu was merciless as he constantly pressured Mendoza and looked to reach the finish,

American boxing great Shawn Porter said during the main event that the Australian’s composure after the fight was just as impressive as what he did inside the ring.

“I’ve been talking to you for so long about his maturity and how much he’s grown in such a short time and I see more and more what a complete champion he is every time I see him,” Porter said.

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Elliot Worsell of Boxing News echoed similar sentiments in praising Tszyu’s fearless commitment to staying active and “backing each other up” in every fight, regardless of his opponent.

“As Tim Tszyu continues to live in the shadow of his famous father, Kostya, and, for now, Jermell Charlo, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is on the verge of emerging from that shadow and to be alone,” wrote Elliot Worsell.

“Clearly, Tszyu, a little piece of the old block, is eager to test himself against the best. Moreover, as shown tonight against Mendoza, 22-3 (16), and in previous fights, he is not afraid to stay active and take risks while waiting for the fight which, we understand doubt, will end up defining it.

“That, of all the things that make Tszyu such a force at super welterweight, is perhaps the one aspect that screams louder than the rest. For it is evident now that he has his back and has every confidence that he will not just remain undefeated in the meantime but will, when the time comes, make the most of his opportunity.

“He is also convinced that this opportunity, which may be granted by Charlo, a man he has been pursuing for some time, will soon be his; that is, he refuses to buy into the idea that Charlo is avoiding him for some reason.

Worsell went on to write that Tszyu is “ready to test himself against the best” as the Australian targets a long-awaited fight with Charlo, who still holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts.

Alternatively, Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings suggested Spence Jr. as another potential target, as the Australian now looks to take another step towards becoming a global name.