By Dan Ambrose: It’s hard to believe that Jermell Charlo is doing more with his career and taking more risks than his twin brother Jermall Charlo. Holding down the IBF/WBA/WBC junior middleweight titles, Jermall is poised to become the undisputed champion at 154.
In contrast, Jermall (31-0, 2 KOs) holds only the WBC middleweight title, and he’s making excuses on why he doesn’t need to fight WBO champion Demetrius Andrade or move up to 168 to face David Benavidez.
It sure looks like Jermell Charlo is the one with ambition, courage, and the talent to accomplish big things in his career rather than his brother Jermall.
For some reason, Jermall has become avoidant, not taking chances with his career. He talks a lot about wanting to fight the best like Benavidez, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, and Andrade but doesn’t make the moves.
It’s as if Jermall is paralyzed, stultified, trapped in this alien pattern of nothingness, keeping him from progressing. Compared to his arguably more courageous brother Jermell, we see a failure to launch with Jermall.
Is it the small bid of success that Jermall has tasted in being made email champion by the WBC that has made his risk aversive, or was this always in him?
In a recent Instagram live, Jermell seemed to be distancing himself from his brother Jermall when he said he’s not ducking anybody. Although Jermall didn’t come out right out and say that Jermall is a ducker, it sounded that way too many boxing fans.
Jermell has impressed boxing fans lately with wins over Jeison Rosario, Tony Harrison, and Erickson Lubin to become the three-belt champion in a short period of time.
The next move for Jermell could be to take on newly crowned WBO 154-lb champion Brian Castano (17-0-1, 12 KOs), who is coming off a 12 round unanimous decision win over belt-holder Patrick Teixeira last February.
“I’m not going up to 160. I’m at 154. I’m a GOAT at my weight. Don’t put no duck on my s***. I ain’t no duck. I ain’t duck nobody, leave me alone. Put some crown on my s***.
“Don’t put no duck. Y’all know this is Jermell Charlo, not the other one. I’m not Jermall Charlo, I’m Jermell Charlo, and I never ducked nobody. I’m not saying my brother is ducking.
“I’m just saying I’m not Jermall. I’m Mell. I’m King Charlo, not Mall. Put that crown on my name, not that other s***.
Years ago, Jermall (31-0, 22 KOs) was viewed by many boxing fans as the better of the two, but Jermall (34-1, 18 KO) has emerged in the last 2 years as not only the seemingly braver of the two, but he’s also accomplished more than Jermall in capturing three world titles – IBF, WBA, and WBC – at 154.
The next move for Jermell Charlo is an obvious one. He’s going to go after the last man standing, Brian Castano, to relieve him of his WBO title to round out his collection of belts at 154.
Once Jermell becomes the undisputed champion at junior middleweight, he’ll likely move up to 160 and go after all the belts in that weight class. Once that happens, Jermall needs to get out of the way because he can’t be an obstacle for his courageous brother Jermell.