By Sean Jones: Canelo Alvarez sees himself picking up a “big win for Mexico” when he faces Jermell Charlo this month on Showtime pay-per-view.
Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) Charlo and his brother Jermall have been talking a lot, and he can’t wait to show his “skills” inside the ring on September 30th to prove them wrong.
It’s going to be a moral victory on Jermell’s part if he’s able to go 12 rounds with Canelo or if he’s able to beat him. That’s why it’s never a good idea for a well-known fighter to cherry-pick guys from weight classes below them, particularly when you’re talking about two or three.
Even if Canelo beats Jermell (35-1-1,19 KOs), it won’t prove that he can beat ‘Big Charlo,’ Jermall (32-0,22 KOs), the guy he was initially supposed to fight.
This fight is Jermell’s Super Bowl, and you can bet he will have his ears pinned back, going after Canelo, looking to score an upset victory.
There’s so much money Jermell can make in a rematch if he defeats Alvarez on September 30th, and he will be fighting at 110%, going for the victory.
For Canelo’s sake, he’d better hope that he doesn’t get old on that night because Jermell will give him a pounding like he did his last opponent Brian Castano, who is built along the same lines as the 5’8″ Mexican star.
Beating Jermell will only give undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo partial credit because he fights two divisions below him at 154. In the eyes of fans, this is just another example of the Mexican star hand-picking an easier opponent while ducking the guys he should be fighting at 168 & 175.
Canelo should be fighting these guys:
- David Benavidez
- Dmitry Bivol
- David Morrell Jr.
- Artur Beterbiev
- Demetrius Andrade
Canelo ready for Jermell
“I still feel young & fresh, and I never think about the end of my career. I just train and fight every year, and I feel great. I think it’s one of my greatest camps ever had,” said Canelo Alvarez to Premier Boxing Champions.
“I’m glad I’m able to train 100% now with my left hand. You see a little bit, and that’s made me feel confident because when you’re 100%, you feel confident. When you train knowing your 100%, you feel confident in the fight,” said Canelo.
Hopefully, Canelo doesn’t reveal that he was fighting with a hidden ailment afterward, acting in a damage-control mode to explain why he lost the fight or looks bad.
He was doing that after his fights with Gennadiy Golovkin & Dmitry Bivol, and his sympathetic fans gave him a pass, accepting the excuses. As the saying goes, you can’t ‘go to the well too often” before it runs out, and that applies to Canelo making injury excuses.
If Canelo gets whipped by Jermell, he needs to come clean and admit that he wasn’t good enough rather than talking about how something went wrong in training camp with an injury.
“Right now, I feel great. I feel like a beast. He’s good for 168,” said Canelo about Jermell. “I did that before. I jumped two weight classes, and I think when you’re a great champion, it doesn’t matter.
“This fight motivates me a lot. On September 30th, I’m going to show them why I’m here. The Mexicans need to feel proud about it. I don’t know what kind of boxing [Jermell] will bring that night.
“I don’t know if he’s going to come forward or move, but I don’t care to because I fight with a lot of styles, and I have the experience to adapt to every style.
“I can do everything in the ring and adapt to any style. It’s going to be a great fight, but I expect a big win for Mexico,” said Canelo.
