With his rematch against Sebastian Fundora shelved, a hungry Tim Tszyu has lined up his next fight, taking on undefeated knockout specialist Vergil Ortiz Jr.
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Tszyu will return to the United States to fight on a blockbuster card in Los Angeles on August 3 (local time) headlined by pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.
After unifying the welterweight division, the American is now moving up in weight to take on WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov.
Crawford and Madrimov, from Uzbekistan, will battle for the WBA and WBO interim belts.
Tszyu's hopes of fighting three-division champion Crawford this year were derailed when the Australian relinquished his WBO super-welterweight belt to Fundora in a controversial split-decision defeat in Las Vegas last month.
After accepting the fight with 12 days' notice the Australian was cruelly denied after walking into the Towering Inferno's elbow and suffering a gruesome head gash.
Tszyu battled on all-but-blindly for 10 rounds and was even awarded a 116-112 victory by one of the judges.
Fundora's team pledged to offer a rematch but that has been put on hold with the Californian out of the ring until at least September after having facial surgery following the fight.
The WBO announced this week it would sanction the Crawford-Madrimov bout as an interim title fight, with the winner set to be next in line to face Fundora.
Ortiz Jr is not only undefeated in 20 fights but has won them all by KO, and will move up from the welterweight division to face Tszyu, pending the result of the American's bout this weekend against Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme.
Tszyu's promoter George Rose said his fearless charge would take on all-comers.
"Tim Tszyu is a modern day warrior, only taking the best and biggest fights in the super-welterweight division," Rose said in a statement.
"He fears no man, walks towards the fire and will again show the world why he is on the path to greatness."
The stacked card is the first stateside foray for new boxing powerhouse Riyadh Season Card, headed by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
The undercard will also feature former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz against Jarrell Miller.
Tszyu was at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night, watching his younger brother Nikita score a unanimous points win over Danilo Creati to retain his Australian super-welterweight title.
Australian Associated Press
