By Vince D’Writer: Undisputed junior-middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) will get the opportunity of a lifetime in September when he challenges the undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
The 154-pound champion is daring to be great as he will go up two weight classes to the 168-pound limit to fight for Alvarez’s undisputed super-middleweight crown.
Initially the opportunity to face Canelo was offered to the 160-pound WBC champion Jermall Charlo, but due to inactivity and personal issues, the offer was declined.
Now twin brother Jermell will get the opportunity he wants, but the question is, is it the opportunity that he deserves? Jermell Charlo is a tremendous boxer who is the current undisputed 154-pound champion, but is it right for him to leapfrog David Benavidez and David Morrell without competing in a single match at the 168-pound limit?
Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) has been taking advantage of his time as the face of boxing, as he continues to be the puppet master. For the past couple of years, Alvarez has been doing what he wants to do, as opposed to giving the boxing fans the fight they want to see.
After watching Canelo Alvarez defeat Caleb Plant back in November 2021, undefeated former two-time WBC super-middleweight world champion David Benavidez called out the undisputed champion. Instead of stepping up to the Benavidez challenge, Alvarez had a different personal challenge in mind.
Canelo Alvarez wanted to pursue a world title in the light heavyweight division, and he had the option to select the hard-hitting unified champion Artur Beterbiev or the highly skilled WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. Alvarez chose Dmitry Bivol, and he got dominated over the course of 12 rounds.
After his failed attempt at a light heavyweight title, Canelo would go back down to 168 to give the fans a fight that no one asked to see.
Instead of fighting David Benavidez, the face of boxing fought a declining 40-year-old Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin.
The trilogy bout was a complete 12-round snooze fest as it lacked both action and drama. The best action of that particular night occurred when Alvarez became frustrated at the post-fight press conference, as a member of the media asked if saying he would not fight a Mexican boxer was his way of ducking David Benavidez.
“Guys, I always say this, you show that video and put whatever you want. When I say I don’t want to fight Mexicans is because I represent Mexico, and that’s why, but I don’t care. I fight anybody, and my entire life, anybody,” Canelo stated.
Alvarez continued by saying, “Whether you think I don’t want to fight with one Mexican Benavidez, but look, I hear his dad talking a lot of sh*t, but look, he’s accomplished nothing. One single champion, Anthony Dirrell. Please, don’t make me disrespect myself. Please, guys.”
On that night, Alvarez requested that the media not make him disrespect himself, but in May 2023, he decided to disrespect the boxing public by fighting British super-middleweight John Ryder.
Eight months prior, Alvarez said former two-time WBC world champion David Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) has done nothing to deserve a title shot, but then after making that statement, he fights John Ryder, a man who came into the bout with five losses and his signature win was a controversial split decision victory over Daniel Jacobs.
After the John Ryder fight, Canelo was trying to negotiate a rematch with Dmitry Bivol. Despite getting dominated by Bivol in the previous bout, the face of boxing had the audacity to request that Bivol should defend his title for a second time. Bivol and his team were adamant in regards to a potential rematch taking place at 168 for Canelo’s undisputed crown.
Once Bivol’s team stuck to that demand, Alvarez moved on to the Charlo twins. In the process of making this move and screwing over Interim WBC super-middleweight titlist David Benavidez, and WBA ‘Regular’ super-middleweight titlist David Morrell, Canelo’s decision has also affected the top challenger at 154.
Tim Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) was set to challenge Jermell Charlo for the undisputed junior-middleweight title in January 2023, but unfortunately, Charlo suffered a hand injury in training camp, and the fight was postponed. Tszyu would go on to collect quality wins against Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, but now he faces another delay in his quest to become undisputed at 154.
It’s hard to blame Jermell Charlo for accepting the opportunity, but it’s easy to blame Canelo Alvarez for ducking David Benavidez, ducking David Morrell, inadvertently screwing Tim Tszyu, and holding up not one but two divisions.
It seems like Canelo is willing to fight anybody but the top two contenders in his weight class. If he beats Jermell Charlo, Jermall will probably be next to avenge his brother’s loss, and if Canelo loses to Jermell, then Benavidez, Morrell, and Tszyu will continue to experience delays in their undisputed quest due to the fact that Canelo will definitely activate his rematch clause.