 Tszyu, 34, has fought only twice in the past 26 months |
A shoulder injury has forced Kostya Tszyu to postpone his light-welterweight world title bout with Sharmba Mitchell. The fight was due to take place in Moscow on 7 February but undisputed world champion Tszyu will have surgery on Saturday after his injury was assessed by surgeon David Sonnabend.
"Although this will set him back some months, the shoulder will recover completely," said Sonnabend.
Tszyu's management said it was too early to revise dates for the fight.
But the combination of surgery and rehabilitation, plus the time needed to prepare for the fight, is likely to result in a postponement of some months.
"Kostya is devastated by this outcome," Tszyu's manager Matthew Watt said in the statement.
The fight against Mitchell was scheduled to be Tszyu's first as a professional in his country of birth and his first in Russia since 1991 when he won a national amateur title.
Russian-born Tszyu defeated Mitchell in February 2001 when the American retired after the second round of the fight.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version