By Brian Webber: Jermell Charlo is vowing to end the reign of undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, sending him down on September 30th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) is a fighter who wants to entertain the fans, and he feels the best way to do this is by knocking out Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) in their Showtime PPV headliner bout.
After being involved in two controversial against Tony Harrison and Brian Castano, Charlo understands the importance of not leaving it in the judges’ hands. Canelo, aka ‘Face of Boxing,’ is too popular for Charlo to allow the fight to go to the cards.
The oddsmakers have Canelo as the favorite, and that’s okay with Charlo. He doesn’t mind being the B-side in this fight and intends to prove the doubters and haters wrong.
If Charlo wins, it will make him a two-division undisputed champion, and he’ll be able to pick who he wants to face, be it a rematch with Canelo or Terence Crawford.
Jermell motivated by underdog status
“I visualize winning this fight. I visualize how I’m going to win it. This is my moment to make non-believers believers,” said Jermell Charlo to Showtime’s All Access. “I’m the underdog. That’s got to give you the fire. That has to give you a chip on your shoulder. It’s a thrill for me to prove all the haters and doubters wrong.
“I didn’t close out that fight with a knockout. If I would have knocked him out, I think I would have got that fight. So I had to drop him,” said Jermell about the first fight with Brian Castano, which was scored a twelve round draw.
“The fashion of the win makes the difference. That’s on the back of my mind in this fight right here. In the judges’ hands, it’s like I’m putting stress on myself. I feel like I have to have this in my hands.
“I know moving up in a weight division, jumping up two weight classes is risky, but I feel like if I have to go to 160, it’s some champions there. It’s some good fights to be made. You look a little back in the ocean, you see Canelo. Why not take that boat out a little bit further? There, I’ll land that big fight.
“I didn’t like it at first [moving up in weight to 168]. At one point, I felt like, ‘Damn, I’m slower. So, I had to figure out how to keep my speed as well as be strong. It’s all about throwing that punch.
“If you want to be great, it ain’t going to take just winning everything at 154 and defending the titles. It’s not about that. It’s about trying to move to another level. I’m strong, I feel fast. I’m at the top peak of my prime. I’ve won undisputed, and I’m still hungry.
“I’m hyped up. I’m always going to be hyped up; I’m full of energy. I got some people to feed. We’re all so starving. We want this moment, and I don’t like to use the word ‘starving’ because we’re not hurting for nothing, but we’re starving in this.
“It’s been a journey just to try and win undisputed. It would be amazing to have all my belts at 154 and all my belts at 168 at the same time and be able to choose who I fight next and put on entertaining fights and show you that I know the business of boxing.
“I promote my fights and have the respect of different fans from different countries. Yo, it’s everything,” said Jermell.
Canelo not worried about losing
“With so many fights, you have to imagine not just the fights but all the training that you do,” said Canelo Alvarez. “So many punches, so many punches. At some point, an injury has to come.
“Obviously, at some fights, I haven’t had the opportunity to fight at 100% because of my injuries, but having the ability to train at 100% is another thing.
“Obviously, no one is prepared to lose, right?” said Canelo about his loss to WBAA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last year.
“Obviously, I was very hurt by the defeat, but in the end, you have to accept it, and you also have to look at the circumstances in which I lost, moving up in weight and continuing to try and make history.
“You have to see how you lost, and also accept it and take it like a man and move on. It doesn’t stop there. I’m always focused 100%. It doesn’t matter if it’s undisputed or not undisputed.
“The fight in front of me is always the most important. Right now, the most important fight of my career is with Jermell Charlo. With a loss, it’s not over. It’s not all over. You need to look at how you lost and to whom you lost,” said Canelo.
Charlo vows to topple Canelo
“Canelo ain’t got it like me. The man of the boxing world, the face. I just feel at that moment, he wasn’t doing it,” said Jermell. “I use the ring better.
“For a long time, a lot of people didn’t believe the Charlo twins are what they say they are. The lions in the jungle, the lions in the boxing ring. I’ve been there before. I’m the underdog.
“It’s cool with me. I strive in this moment. I thrive in this moment. It’s a thrill to jump on the B-side and go prove all the haters & doubters wrong.
“Canelo didn’t change nothing. Strong punches, same shots. It’s almost like Caleb Plant was going straight backward. It’s almost like he didn’t give any angles. I’m going to move more. I’m not going to tell everybody what I’m going to do.
“Fan favorite, it’s cool. Keep screaming. What a different animal right now. We got the same thing. We both got undisputed. When you’re undisputed, you can really consider yourself the king of that division.
“It’s one of the greatest achievements and accomplishments. Somebody asked me what my best moment in boxing has been. It’s this moment right here.
“To become the first undisputed champion at 154 and to do it my knockout, it has to be the best feeling I’ve felt so far. Making history felt good. I’ve done that before, and now to try and become undisputed in two weight divisions, it’s like far above my mental capacity.
“I’m feeling like at this moment. I’m expanding that balloon, and it won’t pop. Canelo going down! This moment ain’t nothing to play with. This fight is going to make the whole history of boxing forever respect me. They’re going to know that I’m one of the greats,” said Jermell.
“I don’t think Jermell returns to 154. He returns to 160, maybe 168. He may stay at 168,” said Shawn Porter to K.O. Artist Sports when asked about whether Jermell Charlo will fight Crawford if he’s successful against Canelo Alvarez on September 30th.
“In order for him [Jermell] to be successful [against Canelo], he’s got to use feet, create that distance, and hit Canelo with something that is going to keep him honest.
“I’ll tell you what Jermell has working for him. He has this timing and this eye to see that right hand and throw it,” said Porter.
