Tszyu, Volk eye July title shots in Vegas

TIM Tszyu is pushing to fight Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in July – and potentially within days of UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski defending gold in the same town.

In what would be a huge first for the Australian fight game, both Tszyu and Volkanovski are gunning for massive championship bouts in the world’s fight capital.

Australia’s most popular boxer has again secured himself a showdown with Charlo – who he says “barks a lot” – after claiming the WBO interim super welterweight title via brutal stoppage of American Tony Harrison.

Speaking on Sunday night, Tszyu’s manager Glenn Jennings confirmed July as the date his client now wants to challenge the division’s undisputed king for all four belts.

Jennings also suggested Team Tszyu was serious about now using Harrison – the only man to ever beat Charlo – as part of what will be a sevenweek build up in the United States.

The news comes as UFC executives discuss having Volkanovski defend his featherweight strap against Mexican Yair Rodriguez at UFC International Fight Week, also in July.

While the Wollongong star initially wanted an immediate rematch with Islam Makhachev after narrowly losing out to the lightweight king at UFC 284, company boss Dana White has stated a Rodriguez fight will be first.

Like Tszyu, Volkanovski has now developed a huge following among mainstream Aussie sports fans and was part of the Main Event coverage on Sunday night as Harrison got stopped in the ninth by a flurry of uppercuts and big left hand by the undefeated Sydneysider.

Initially, Tszyu was set to fight Charlo in January, however that bout was abandoned on Christmas Day after the champ suffered a broken hand in sparring.

Speaking on the Showtime broadcast of Sunday’s title fight, Charlo suggested he would be ready to return by “late summer”.

Yet with the Texan already back in the gym, the two biggest names in Australian combat sports right now are hopeful of fighting in Las Vegas, and for world titles, within days of each other.

“In a perfect world, we go in July,” Jennings said.

“We already know Tim isn’t carrying injuries from the win over Tony, which is wonderful.”