By Jim Maltzman: Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) says he plans on fighting one more time in 2020, and he’s hoping he can unify against one of the other champions at 160. Charlo’s options are limited as far as potential champions for him to unify against this year.
Jermall needs to check in with Al Haymon of PBC before he starts talking about wanting to unify. For that to happen, Haymon would need to work with Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, or Matchroom Boxing.
These are the 160-lb champions Jermall Charlo has to pick from:
- Canelo Alvarez – WBA Super World
- Ryota Murata – WBA World
- Gennady Golovkin – IBF
- Demetrius Andrade – WBO
Jermall fights on a different network than all of those fighters, which could make it virtually impossible for him to fight any of them. The networks are a problem, and the different promoters add to it.
Murata is with Top Rank, and they’re probably not going to be keen on the idea of letting him face Premier Boxing Champion fighter Jermall. Golovkin is with DAZN and Matchroom, and he seems to mainly focused on getting the Canelo fight.
Charlo’s chances are slim for a unification
Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) plans on defending his IBF 160lb title against his IBF mandatory Kamil Szeremeta on November 21, and after that, he’ll be done for the year. GGG likely will sit and wait on the Canelo fight to happen in 2021 after taking care of Szeremeta.
Golovkin seems to want the payday that comes with him fighting Canelo, and he’s not even pretending that he wants to take on anyone dangerous fight now. T
the fact that Golovkin is facing his IBF mandatory challenger Szeremeta without the fight even having been ordered tells you something about what he’s focused on right now.
Murata hasn’t been matched against high-level fighters since he won the WBA belt. He’s probably not going to break his pattern of taking weaker fighters to face a dangerous guy like Charlo.
“I smell the hate,” said Jermall on social media about his critics. “How many people want to see me this year? I think I got one more in me. I got a lot of Canelo hate. One more fight this year coming to you in your household. Real soon.
“The haters always seem to love us. Y’all send me some love so I can stay motivated. I haven’t been posting that much, but I’m still sore.
“I’m still going through it. I’m on paid leave, and I’m waiting for the check to clear. Its unify season. They got to have a belt. My brother unified so it’s unify season,” said Charlo.
Canelo has a lawsuit out against Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoy, and DAZN. Even if he does wrap that up this year, he won’t pick Jermall as his opponent. Alvarez wants to fight one of these guys in 2020: Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders, or Callum Smith.
Jermall needs a good opponent
WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrae would probably take the fight with Charlo if it were up to him alone, but it’s not up to him.
Andrade’s promoters at Matchroom aren’t going to make the fight if they don’t believe he can win. Shawn Porter believes that Andrade would be Charlo if that fight were to take place. Matchroom seems content with the level of opposition they’ve been facing Andrade.
Those are just the guys that have been mentioned. Other fighters have been brought up as potential opponents. We’re talking about Anthony Dirrell, David Lemieux, and Jason Quigley.
Charlo successfully defended his WBC middleweight title last Saturday night in defeating #1 WBC Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-3, 10 KOs) in a doubleheader on Showtime pay-per-view from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.