By Jim Maltzman: Sergiy Derevyanchenko’s trainer Andre Rozier says he prefers that he take the fight with WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo rather than face Canelo Alvarez. Rozier feels that Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) holds a better title than the WBA ‘regular’ 168-pound belt that Canelo holds.
Also, Rozier believes that Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) can beat Charlo, which would make him a two-belt champion in his mind. Rozier says he views Derevyanchenko as the “uncrowned champion” after losing to Gennadiy Golovkin by a controversial 12 round unanimous decision on October 5 last year.
Derevyanchenko, 34, stands to gain more by fighting Canelo than Charlo, and the energy would be higher for that match, says Rozier. Beating Canelo, the face of boxing would be huge.
The casual boxing fans a lot better know him in the U.S than Charlo, who received his WBC title via email. Canelo has been around longer than Charlo and been involved in massive fights over the last 15 years.
If the money is better, Canelo would be the logical direction for Derevyanchenko to go.
Derevyanchenko heading in Charlo direction
“It seems like we’re moving in the direction of solidification. I still don’t know as of yet, but it looks like we’re going in the direction of a young man who’s named starts with a C,” said Derevyanchenko’s trainer Andre Rozier to Fighthype on Sergiy’s next fight.
“That seems to be the direction it’s heading [towards Jermall Charlo]. I’m not sure about that. I don’t think it was that because his adviser Keith Connoly wouldn’t accept that at all,” said Rozier when asked if Canelo’s promoters Golden Boy offered Derevyanchenko half of what he received for his last fight against Gennadiy Golovkin.
“I doubt that was true. In this scenario, Sergiy is the uncrowded middleweight champion of the world, and I’d like to see him at least have a strap around his waist. With Canelo, it’s tough. Plus, that Rocky Fielding strap, that regular WBA garbage just doesn’t count. So we want the real strap,” said Rozier.
It comes down to what Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions want. If they wish to sign Derevyanchenko, then they’ll surely be able to come up with the money to get him. Even if Canelo has to sacrifice a portion of his purse to get Derevyanchenko, it’s possible.
We don’t how much interest Canelo has in taking what would be a tough fight for him against Derevyanchenko. It would be a much different story than if Canelo were to fight a non-puncher like John Ryder.
Canelo might not want a hard fight right now. He’s been playing a lot of golf and enjoying his fortune. If Canelo faces Derevyanchenko, he will rediscover how tough boxing can be.
Sergiy with more to gain fighting Alvarez
“Charlo holds the WBC title,” Rozier said. “So that’s the title that I would like him [Derevyanchenko] to go after so that he can be recognized as the middleweight champion of the world. Never,” said Rozier when asked if he thinks Canelo will ever fight at 160-pounds again.
“It makes no sense, the WBC [giving Canelo the Franchise title at 160]. I guess it was a gift for him because he’s never going to fight at 160. If I were his trainer, I’d tell everybody he’s never going to fight at 160 again.
“He [Canelo] went up to 175, fought Kovalev, knocked him out. Amazingly, he looked in better shape than he was at middleweight. His body was cut to the tee, and he looked great and strong. Who is going to go back to 160 after that?
“He’s not. You’ll never see it. That should be a foregone conclusion. Leave it out—no more Canelo at 160. In the Sergiy and Charlo fight, Sergiy wins. The prize is much larger for a Canelo-Derevyanchenko fight.
“The energy is higher. The economics are better. So it only makes sense to go in that direction to attain and display. So I would like to see that come to fruition and manifest itself. I’d be very happy with that,” said Rozier of Derevyanchenko, fighting Canelo.
Rozier realizes that the upside for Derevyanchenko is much higher for him fighting Canelo than Charlo. If he beats Canelo, then there would be a rematch that would pay Derevyanchenko massive money. It won’t be the same situation for Derevyanchenko if he beats Charlo.
Fans on social media supporting Derevyanchenko
“I think it’s a combination of the two [fans supporting Derevyanchenko because of his controversial loss to Golovkin as well as their dislike for Charlo],” said Rozier when asked why Derevyanchenko is receiving so much support on social media for his potential fight against Charlo.
“Let me say this about Charlo. He has of late shown more maturity. Sometimes people put on semantics because they think that’s what people want to see. I think he realizes that’s not what people really want to see.
“They want to see an athlete that is more like a professional and not like a YouTube entertainer. He’s been showing a lot more maturity in his interviews and professional life and his commentating.
“This is the Charlo that I’d like to see. When they’re acting up, it’s more so with the younger [smaller] brother than the older brother. When they’re acting up, for me, it doesn’t make sense,” Rozier said.
Jermall is the quieter of the Charlo twins, and he’s less reactive than his brother Jermell. Rozier mistakenly calls Jermell the younger brother of Jermall, but they’re twins. Jermell’s personality of more explosive, and he’s entirely different from the more mellow Jermall.
Rozier hoping Jermall shows maturity
“It’s not good, and it brings about that immature, bratty characteristic,” continued Rozier on the Charlo twins. “So he’s showing more maturity, and I’m looking forward to him displaying that if that was the case of him and Sergiy was to box.
“We’ll see what happens. I think a lot of people have grown not to appreciate what they’ve [the Charlo twins] have been doing. And this is the problem. You get people to hate you, and then more people hate you, and then the judges hate you.
“We know what happens then. In my opinion, I felt the young Charlo, when he fought Tony Harrison, I thought he won the first fight. It just goes to show you. You’re the champion, the house favorite; it should go your way. It didn’t.
“Your actions, people get tired of seeing that. It’s not cute, and it’s not fun. It’s none of that. A lot of that polling [against Charlo] is hate,” said Rozier.
There shouldn’t be a problem with the Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko promotion in terms of immaturity on Jermall’s part. There will need to be some trash-talking done by both fighters to get the boxing public excited about the fight.
We can’t rule out Canelo getting the Derevyanchenko fight. If Canelo wants that fight, you can believe Golden Boy will find the money to get Derevyanchenko to agree to take it.