As a relaxed Tim Tszyu continues to prepare in Los Angeles for his 'Super Bowl' fight, a 'weird' Jermell Charlo says the Australian just isn't the same calibre as him.
Charlo, the holder of all four major super welterweight belts will put them all on the line against Tszyu in Las Vegas on January 28 (January 29 AEDT).
It will be the same day 22 years on from when Tim's famous father Kostya won his first world title in the same city.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) said he was every bit as hungry as Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) but felt there were better fighters in the division than his challenger.
"I don't underestimate anyone but Tim Tszyu is not the calibre of Jermell Charlo," the 32-year-old American said during Tuesday's virtual press conference.
"Your father done some things in boxing and we understand that's a bloodline thing but my pedigree is strong.
"I don't care how much he's studied my old fights or what you've seen on YouTube or what you've seen on these videos, I know how to adjust I'll make adjustments real precisely."
Asked what Tszyu doesn't know about him that he will discover next month, Charlo said "I'm weird."
"Weird, like what's weird (about you)?" Tszyu interjected.
"It's a word, Google it man, I'm weird in the ring, everywhere."
Tszyu acknowledged it was the biggest fight of his career but said he wasn't nervous, approaching it like any other bout.
"I'm nice and relaxed," Tszyu said.
"It just feels like normal, the occasion is going to be big, undisputed it doesn't get any bigger.
"Its like the Super Bowl grand final, it's the NBA finals as well, it's equivalent to that type of Mecca."
Tszyu pinpointed an area of improvement since his last fight when he recovered from a first-round knockdown to score an unanimous points win over Terrell Gausha in his first professional fight in the US.
"I think for me it's not fighting with emotion and fighting with my brains, when you're able to do that you're a different fighter," Tszyu said.
The 28-year-old Sydneysider said he felt more respected in America than in the past.
"In Australia it was sort of (like I was ) a big fish in a small pond and now it's completely different and it's sink or swim now in the big ocean, this is where it all matters," Tszyu said.
He was looking forward to having former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya travel from Russia to attend one of his fights for the first time since his professional debut in Sydney in December 2016.
"It will be good to have people that have been there done that walking out with you, it brings a cool energy that's for sure," Tszyu added.
While Charlo took exception to reported comments from Tszyu saying he was old and arrogant, he foresaw a time when they might enjoy each other's company.
"When I'm done with boxing one day I might go and hang out with Tim somewhere in Sydney, on the big islands or somewhere sharing kangaroo meat and talking about this when we're 50 years old," Charlo said.
