By Adam Baskin: Undisputed 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo says he already knows some of the tools he’ll be using to defeat the four-belt super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez next month on September 30th in their main event fight on Showtime PPV.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) will use lateral movement & his powerful jab to neutralize the ‘Face of Boxing’ Canelo’s offense to keep him harmless and unable to get his shots off on the night.
For Canelo to be effective, he needs a fighter to be a stationary target, like his last opponent John Ryder, who looked like his sole purpose in life was to be used as a punching bag for the Mexican star.
Adam Baskin noted how nervous Canelo looked during yesterday’s press conference while in Jermell’s presence. Canelo looked like a guy that was heading into public thrashing, and he didn’t look happy about it all.
Alvarez clearly knows that he made a big mistake choosing Jermell, as there won’t be a built-in excuse if he loses this fight like there would be if he’d done the sensible thing by showing some courage to try and avenge his humiliating loss to Dmitry Bivol from last year.
Jermell reveals game plan for Canelo
“I know that jab has got to be active and lateral movement has really got to be active as well. So, we can’t just sit there and take shots either,” said Jermell Charlo to Showtime Boxing on what he must do to defeat Canelo Alvarez on September 30th.
“It’s about being smart in there. So using my IQ will definitely put this fight in my hands.
“I don’t need to trash talk. I wish I had never presented such a negative, bad energy, but this is just who I am. So, I will give you what this is, and if you p**s me off, I will give you want you ask for.
“My hand injury, don’t worry about that because I wouldn’t be taking this fight if I had to worry about a hand injury. The hand good; that’s why we’re getting an opportunity like that,” said Charlo about his injured left hand, now healed and ready for action against Alvarez.
Charlo is motivated by haters
“I know he’s got some power, and he can move too and mix punches. We’re going to fight,” Jermell said about Canelo.
There will be many boxing fans & media members in shock when or if Jermell does a number on Canelo, beating him as he did his last opponent Brian Castano.
Jermell improved dramatically for his rematch with Castano, looking nothing like the fighter he’d been in their first contest a year earlier, which was scored a twelve round draw in 2001.
It will be difficult for people to come to terms with their predictions being so far off the scale in judging Jermell.
What Canelo doesn’t realize is that Jermell has massive power and is arguably more capable of doing damage than some of the biggest punchers he’s faced during his 19-year career, like Gennadiy Golovkin, Callum Smith & Miguel Cotto.
The way that Jermell sets traps, and catches his opponents with sneaky shots, makes him more dangerous than Canelo’s past opponents. The punches you don’t see coming are the ones that hurt you.
“I don’t think I’m going to be too worried about what he will do. “I think y’all are going to see that, ‘We underestimated a little bit, Jermell Charlo,’ and that’s what I’m coming to show.”
Canelo Alvarez looks doomed
People will have to admit to themselves that they got it all wrong with their prediction of an easy victory for Canelo over Jermell.
If they had just taken the time to look at Jermell’s previous fight against Castano and compared it to how Canelo looked against John Ryder, they’d understand that Saul is doomed.
“I like when I have haters, doubters, and people that don’t know me yet. They don’t know how hard I hit. They haven’t been in the ring with me. So, hopefully, after the fight, Canelo can let y’all know I’m one of the most dangerous fighters that he fought,” said Jermell.
It’s interesting to see how many doubters are out there, people giving Jermell no chance of winning and mistakenly believing that Canelo is still the fighter he’d been in the past during his best years.
Physically, you can see he’s not the same guy he once was, as he’s no longer throwing combinations, tires easily, and spends most of the time with his back against the ropes in his fights.
