As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, undefeated Australian superstar Tim Tszyu will return to the ring and defend his Interim WBO 154-pound title against Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo. The fight will be televised on Showtime on Saturday, June 17 (Sunday, June 18 in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

Tszyu will make the first defense of his interim belt after capturing it in March with a career-best showing in stopping former champion Tony Harrison. He had originally been scheduled to face undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, before Charlo was forced to withdraw due to injury.

With a victory on June 17 in his home country, Tszyu can lock in a date with Charlo later this year.

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight. I won’t sit on the couch and wait for [Jermell] Charlo’s hand to get better. I want to fight in the meantime,” said Tszyu. “The fans deserve the fights…The Charlo fight is in the making, but I’m not underestimating Ocampo. I’ve got a hard task ahead of me.

“Technically, this fight is going to be much harder than my previous fights. The Mexican style will require something new in me and I expect it to be tough. Despite being Australian and on the other side of the globe, I’m headlining a fight on Showtime for the third time. Is anyone else doing that? Everyone knows I’m coming to take over.”

The 27-year-old Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) rode a 12-fight winning streak into his last matchup, which saw him drop a decision to 154-pound contender Sebastian Fundora last October in a Showtime main event. The 12 consecutive triumphs dated back to the only other loss of his career, which came to current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. in a 2016 knockout defeat.

“I’m looking forward to my fight against Tim Tszyu,” said Ocampo. “We are both warriors who go forward without fear. The fans will be the true winners that night, because I’m going after that title at all. Costs and it’s coming back to Mexico with me. He won’t want to hand it over to me, so I’ll just have to take it from him.”