By Dan Ambrose: Shawn Porter says Jermall Charlo has been out of the ring for too long for him to fight Canelo Alvarez in September and will need 1 to 2 tune-ups for him to adequately prepare for this type of match-up.
Porter says that it doesn’t matter that Jermall (32-0, 22 KOs) has much experience during his 15-year professional career.
The fact of the matter is the 33-year-old Charlo has been out of work for two years since his war against a very average Juan Macias Montiel in July 2021.
With that kind of inactivity, it wouldn’t be fair to Jermall or the paying fans to see him trotted out as Canelo’s next opponent in September on DAZN PPV.
That being said, Jermall obviously won’t turn down the Canelo fight if it’s offered to him next, as long as the numbers are right.
Jermall must know that if he tells Canelo he needs a tune-up or two, the Mexican star will NEVER give him another opportunity. If Canelo wasn’t the face of boxing, he’d probably let Jermall get his tune-ups, but the way things are now, he has tons of other options to fight.
If Canelo wants to be vindictive about it by permanently freezing out Jermall and he’ll still do well fighting the mostly scrubs that he’s been feasting on since 2019.
Jermall and his management likely won’t say no to fighting Canelo without a tune-up because his career is looking pretty much done. A fight against Canelo would be a cash-out type for Jermall, and he’d likely disappear like the late billionaire Howard Hughes and never appear again.
“You get to a point where you can’t take on soft competition. You can’t take on just anybody,” said Shawn Porter to Fighthype about Canelo Alvarez possibly fighting Jermall Charlo.
“Even for Tim [Tszyu], he’s in a really special position where the mandatory is not ready, and so he’s taking on who they can find [the recently beaten Carlos Ocampo]. There’s a difference.
“Jermall is in a position where he needs to get one if not two more fights before he gets in the ring with Canelo. Obviously, he’s got all the experience in these, but he has not worked in some time now, and that’s a hard fight for him to take on without being in the ring for so long.
“You got to make noise so that people see you and hear you, and the fight happens. What I hope they’re not trying to do is talk this fight up, and they get a fight before they fight Canelo. But they talk this fight up, and Canelo says, ‘I’ll take you on next.’ I think that will work against him.
“I don’t think they’re trying to get him immediately. If they are, they’re like, ‘Hey, we’re where we need to be, and we’re ready for this guy.’
“I’m pretty sure they’re in different camps now, which won’t be a clash of camps. There won’t be a clash of too much energy in one direction or another,” said Porter about the Charlo twins. “If they do fight close to one another, that should be fine.
“I think that’s a great fight for boxing, a great fight for [Jermall] Charlo, and obviously a great fight for Canelo. I hope it gets made,” said Porter when told that Eddie Hearn said this week that he thinks Canelo will fight Jermall next.
“I think boxing is in a space right now where we’re starting to see some cross-promotions. We’re starting to see fighters force the hands of promoters, force the hands of the management.
“I think more fighters are starting to learn that ‘if I speak up about what I want, I’ll get it.’ I think that’ll be great for boxing,” said Porter.
