American boxing analyst Paulie Malignaggi is backing Tim Tszyu to knock Jermell Charlo cold should the pair finally meet to unify the division in 2024, warning the outspoken American “is not a hungry fighter” anymore.

Only a week after becoming Australia’s newest boxing champion, Tszyu is now readying to defend the WBO super welterweight title against American Brian Mendoza on the Gold Coast next Sunday, October 15.

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While WBO officials stripped Charlo of their title last Sunday — after he chose to face boxing megastar Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas instead of Tszyu, his mandatory – Fox Sports Australia can reveal WBC officials have no intention of doing the same.

While Mendoza is currently the WBC interim champion, he has chosen to vacate that strap to face Tszyu for the WBO title.

While there have been calls for Charlo to be stripped of all his belts, WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán has explained his decision to support the champ, while also revealing he had wanted the organisation’s interim belt up for grabs in the Australian title blockbuster.

While describing its removal from the contest as “troublesome”, he said there was no intention to strip Charlo even if he had gone and taken the undisputed super middleweight crown from Alvarez last Sunday.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

“There are so many precedents of champions moving up in weight, moving down in weight and remaining as champions because it’s a great honour.

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“And when you’re undisputed, it’s special.

“But for the WBC he will remain champion …”

Elsewhere, Sulaimán described Tszyu as a “phenomenal” fighter and expects him to definitely challenge for their famed green and gold belt sometime in the future.

“I love Tszyu,” he said.

“The father, the son, the family.

“We love Australia and I’m very upset that for some strange reason his fight isn’t also for the WBC belt that Mendoza has.

“I don’t understand it.

“That’s why boxing is troublesome.

“(The decision) is very disappointing.

“There was no reason … we were very open to it and we would have accepted.

“We don’t block.

“We like to fight, like to promote.

“We make the best conditions for the sport.”

So who is to blame?

“I dunno,” he said, “I don’t get in the ring”.

Meanwhile, Malignaggi has surprisingly backed Tszyu to not only beat Charlo should they throw down to unify the division, but knock cold the man who currently still owns the IBF, WBA and WBC super welterweight straps.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former two-division champion described Charlo as fighter now “looking for a free cheque” following his lacklustre performance against Alvarez — a lopsided decision loss where he was widely panned for fighting to survive, not win.

Malignaggi suggested the champ should have to fight Tszyu next rather than undisputed welterweight king Terence Crawford, who appears likely to move up.

“Instead of getting Crawford, he [Charlo] should now have to fight Tim Tszyu after that performance,” Malignaggi said.

“And if he beats Tim Tszyu, then maybe he can get Crawford.

“But I don’t think Jermell Charlo is hungry.

“And getting this 20 million racks is going to make him less hungry.

“I think if he fights Tim Tszyu, Tim Tszyu knocks him out.

“Jermell at his best was world class, but this is not a hungry fighter.

“This is not a guy who wants to fight, this is a guy who wants to steal the bank and who is looking for a free cheque.”