As his camp waits to learn if an application to replace injured Brian Castano is granted, Australian boxing superstar Tim Tszyu has no doubt he's ready to fight world champion Jermell Charlo.
A winner-takes-all unified showdown between Argentina's Castano and American Charlo next month in Los Angeles has been cancelled after Castano suffered a training injury.
Tszyu, who boasts a 20-0 record including 15 knockouts, is the mandatory challenger to Castano's WBO light middleweight crown and was to have fought the winner of the March 19 blockbuster.
Instead, his camp have applied to the WBO for Tszyu to replace Castano (19-0-2) and fight Charlo (18-1-1) in what would be the Australian's US debut.
Tszyu's management is expecting a decision within days and the 27-year-old says he'll be ready if called upon as he is in the middle of preparing to fight American Terrell Gausha in a bout that was to be a co-main event to the Castano-Charlo clash.
"Of course (I'm ready)," Tszyu said.
"He (Charlo) is a big talker. Got a big mouth.
"My fists are itching. Itching for his face actually. I'd love to take him on."
Reports out of America suggest the Castano-Charlo bout is most likely to be rescheduled by at least another four weeks.
What that means for Tszyu's American plans - and the bout against Gausha (25-2-1) - is unclear but he says nothing will dissuade him from his ambition to fight in America.
"I said before, we're going global," Tszyu said.
"I've always been sort of ambitious to get to America.
"After the Jeff Horn fight I was looking into it. COVID has slowed things down but at the same time I kept consistent, kept fighting, brought a few opponents down here but now it's global.
"Now it's the big boys."
First on Tszyu's agenda will be providing advice as a cornerman for younger brother Nikita, who'll make his professional debut against unbeaten countryman Aaron Stahl at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday.
While Nikita admitted he's feeling nerves ahead of the bout, big brother Tim had no doubt who'll be most nervous on the night.
"A hundred per cent me," he said.
"Once Nikita gets into his zone, I'm telling you, he's nervous now but once he gets into the zone and he comes out and he feels it, he's going to be a monster.
"Once there's a body on the floor, then everything will change."
Meanwhile the Australian lightweight title bout between Olympic bronze medallist Harry Garside and Manuer Matet at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion has been pushed back a week to April 6.
