Tag Archives: Jermell Charlo

Posted on 01/14/2022

By: Hans Themistode

After a long and successful run in the welterweight division, Danny Garcia has grown sick and tired of squeezing his enormous frame down to the 147 pound limit. So, in an effort to extend his career and return to championship glory, Garcia is currently pondering a move up in weight.

Although the Philadelphian hasn’t officially made his decision as of yet, he has revealed that even a 147 pound showdown against pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford is unlikely to happen due to his ongoing weight issues.

With Garcia’s next destination likely at 154 pounds, the former two-division titlist has set his sights on a third world title reign. At the moment, both unified super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo and WBO titlist Brian Castano, are set to face off on March 19th with undisputed glory on the line. In the meanwhile, should Garcia make the trek seven pounds north, he could be in search of a dance partner.

As things currently stand, many of the top 154 pounders are currently occupied. However, former WBC champion Tony Harrison doesn’t appear to have anything lined up on his fight calendar. Should the two face off at some point this year, newly retired Shawn Porter is of the belief that his former rival can and will pick up the victory.

“I do believe that Danny Garcia is moving up to 154,” said Porter on his podcast The Porter Way Podcast Clips. “I do believe Danny will be back in the ring again this year. I think that he would win in a fight between him and Tony Harrison.”

Garcia, 33, has grown more and more inactive over the past few years. The former welterweight champion has also produced a mixed bag of results, going 3-3 in his last six ring appearances. Most recently, Garcia was thoroughly beaten by unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in December of 2020.

Still, despite his recent form, Porter believes a move up in weight would benefit the Philadelphia slugger. Having beaten Garcia in a hard-fought 2018 welterweight showdown, Porter is fully aware of what he’s capable of.

In addition to Porter believing that Garcia’s overall skill set is amongst the elite, he senses that Harrison has fallen from his once lofty position at 154 pounds. Following consecutive bouts against Charlo, with the latter resulting in an 11th round stoppage defeat, along with Harrison’s lackluster showing against Bryant Perrella, Porter is giving Garcia the edge in their hypothetical showdown.

“I feel like he has declined since his second fight with the Charlo brother,” continued Porter. “He got a draw against a fighter that he’s not supposed to draw against you know.”

Posted on 01/13/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Though Brian Castano has never shied away from marching into the backyard of his opponents, the current WBO 154 pound belt holder will no longer have to do it for the second time in a row.

Originally, Castano battled it out against unified super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo in AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas in July of 2021. Growing up only a few hours away in Richmond, Texas, and currently residing in Houston, Charlo had the public backing of the San Antonio crowd.

At the conclusion of their 12 round slugfest, Castano believed his dream of becoming an undisputed world champion was mere moments from becoming a reality. However, the Argentine native was incredulous as he was forced to settle for a split decision draw.

After months of intense negotiations, it appeared as though Castano was set to face Charlo in an immediate rematch that would take place in Charlo’s backyard of Houston, Texas. Nevertheless, the high octane pressure fighter will now face Charlo on neutral ground.

As first reported by BoxingScene.com, both Charlo and Castano will officially rekindle their rivalry on March 19th, in the Los Angeles California area.

Known for his high punch output, Castano was much more reserved in his offensive attack in his first showdown against Charlo. One fight prior, Castano battered and outworked former titlist, Patrick Teixeira. The long and lanky one-time belt holder was overwhelmed both physically and mentally. Castano easily ripped his world title thanks to a heavy workload of 1,136 total punches, landing 373.

While Castano attempted to apply the same sort of pressure to the truculent Charlo, he fought more cautiously once he tasted his vaunted power. On numerous occasions, the Argentine appeared to be on unsteady legs.

Despite the power edge seemingly in Charlo’s corner, Castano was still adamant that his boxing acumen and overall game plan served him well and should have resulted in his undisputed title reign. Although he was ultimately disappointed, in just a few months’ time, Castano will have the opportunity to right what he believes was an awful decision.

Posted on 12/07/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For a number of years now, Demetrius Andrade has urged Jermall Charlo to face him in the ring. With Houston’s Charlo in possession of the WBC middleweight title and Rhode Island’s Andrade holding firmly to the WBO crown, the multiple division titlist would love nothing more than to unify titles. However, despite his public callouts, the two have failed to come to terms on a possible showdown.

Nevertheless, while a matchup against Jermall doesn’t appear to be on the horizon, Andrade has now turned his attention towards his twin brother, Jermell.

“I would like to fight Charlo’s little brother first,” said Andrade to several reporters. “54 Charlo you pop mad shit. Why don’t you come up here to the 160-pound weight class and try to become a two-division world champion. I have it, I have it.”

At one point, when both Jermell and Andrade campaigned at the 154-pound division, the two were set to officially square off. However, due to last-minute financial complaints made by team Andrade, their contest was ultimately canceled.

Still, even with Andrade hoping to rekindle their rivalry, both men have business to attend to. In the case of Charlo, the unified junior middleweight titlist is set to take on WBO champion Brian Castano on February 26th, in Houston, Texas. The two originally battled to a highly controversial split decision draw on July 17th. Should Charlo walk away from their showdown successfully, he’ll become the division’s first undisputed world champion since Winky Wright nearly two decades ago.

As for Andrade, the 33-year-old titleholder has recently been ordered to defend his crown against Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The Ukrainian star stamped his mandatory title shot with an eighth-round stoppage victory over Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam on November 20th.

Posted on 11/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

In what many believed was a controversial outcome, both Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano will look to close the book on their junior middleweight rivalry.

As first reported by Lance Pugmire of USA Today, both sides have verbally agreed to terms to square off on February 26th, at Toyota Center in Houston Texas. Whoever emerges as the winner of their showdown will be crowned as the division’s first undisputed champion since Winky Wright nearly two decades ago.

Although each man is thrilled with the opportunity to nab all four world titles, neither believes a rematch should be taking place considering how their first contest played out.

On July 17th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this year, Castano was in disbelief when it was announced that his showdown against Charlo was ruled a majority draw. Normally a volume puncher, Castano was forced to fight a much more methodical fight thanks to the hard-hitting nature of Charlo.

In the second and ninth rounds, in particular, Castano appeared to be on his way to hitting the deck. On both occasions, Charlo landed clean shots square on the chin of the Argentine native. The unified titlist then swarmed his man in an attempt to close the show.

Despite being on wobbly legs, Castano weathered the storm and managed to outthrow (586-533) and outland (173-151) Charlo by the slimmest of margins. As the final bell sounded, the WBO belt holder rose his hands in the air in pure belief that he had done more than enough to strip Charlo of his championship status. That said, not only was Castano disappointed in the final decision, he went as far as to say he was “robbed” of undisputed glory.

With history in the sights of both men, neither will be satisfied until they resolve things once and for all.

Posted on 08/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Brian Castano is still currently walking around with his fingers crossed. The WBO 154 pound titlist is fresh off a highly disputed split decision draw against unified champion, Jermell Charlo. The two clashed on July 17th, in Charlo’s backyard of San Antonio, Texas.

Despite outworking his man, Castano was left beside himself when a draw was announced following 12 rounds of action. More than anything, Castano wants a chance to right what he believes was an injustice on the night. But, with the IBF mandating that Charlo take on Bakhram Murtazaliev, Castano’s hopes of an immediate rematch might be unrealistic.

If the 31-year-old is unable to land the showdown he craves most, he knows exactly who he would like to take on next.

“I would like to fight Errol Spence,” said Castano during an interview with EsNews.com. “Maybe Errol Spence will come up to 154.”

As mentioned by Castano, a matchup between himself and Spence Jr., could only take place if the current unified welterweight champion moves up in weight. Several years ago, before the world titles and fattened bank accounts, both Castano and Spence Jr. faced off in the amateurs. The Argentinian not only picked up the win but in his own words, he dominated.

“I knocked him down twice,” said Castano during an interview several weeks ago when discussing his amateur showdown against Spence Jr. “It was a fight where everything was intense but I put him down on the mat twice.”

While Castano is confident in his ability to defeat him once again, he’ll have to wait for quite some time before the two can lock horns. During preparation for his mega showdown against Manny Pacquiao which was supposed to take place on August 21st, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Spence Jr. was forced to pull out due to a torn retina in his left eye. He’s since undergone surgery and will now embark on his long road back.

Although the 154-pound titlist would love to re-ignite their amateur rivalry, he wishes Spence Jr. nothing but the best as he deals with a difficult injury.

“He needs more rest. Maybe one year or six months. He has to take care of himself. When it comes to the eye, it’s health before anything.”

Posted on 08/16/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Brian Castano still believes that his shoulders should be laced with even more gold.

After taking on unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo roughly a month ago, Castano couldn’t believe his ears when it was announced that their contest was a split decision draw. The WBO 154 pound titlist ultimately threw more punches, 586 to 533, and landed more, 173 to 151, throughout their 12 round fight. Still, despite the numbers, the Argentinian was unable to win over the judges on the night.

At times, during the heat of the battle, boxers can become incoherent to what’s taking place in the squared circle. On numerous occasions, following either a close win or loss, countless fighters have preferenced their comments by stating “I need to look back at the fight” before commenting on what took place.

Even now, as the 31-year-old has popped in the tape several times, he gives Charlo credit for leaving him on unsteady legs on more than one occasion. Regardless of that, Castano believes it was essentially one-way traffic.

“I felt like I dominated beside the second and third where he clearly hurt me. Fair is fair,” said Castano during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “In the end, I clearly felt like I won. I think the fans think I won too.”

Currently, Castano and his management team are working diligently to get Charlo back in the ring. While the Houston native appeared interested in facing Castano immediately, he might be forced to go down another route.

Shortly after their contest, Charlo was mandated by the IBF to take on Bakhram Murtazaliev. If for some reason, Castano’s team is unable to get Murtazaliev to step aside, the WBO titleholder will look to occupy his time against someone else in the meanwhile.

“My hope will be that there will be some kind of way to set aside that mandatory fight that Charlo has and do the rematch immediately,” continued Castano. “If that can’t happen, then I have to look for someone in the 154-pound division or a 147 pounder that wants to come up to 54. Then, we can see what happens after that but my hope is for an immediate rematch.”

Considering that Charlo holds three of the four major world titles in the division, the Houstonian could be facing a long line of opponents, making his rematch with Castano all the more difficult. With that said, Castano believes that Charlo has no other choice but to fight him.

“Charlo needs the opportunity to clear his name. In the end, I’m confident that this fight will happen.”

Posted on 08/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Although it’s been well over two years since Keith Thurman has entered the ring, the former unified welterweight champion is slowly rounding into form and looks forward to making his return.

Having dropped his WBA 147 pound title to Manny Pacquiao in July of 2019, Thurman had subsequent hand surgery to correct a long-standing issue. With the Florida native now back in the gym and working off the rust, he’s patiently waiting to see what his team can line up for him in the near future.

Recently, Thurman’s name was mentioned by CEO of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe as an opponent he would match up against Gervonta Davis, the current WBA “Regular” titlist at 130, 135 and 140. While Thurman isn’t opposed to the idea of facing Davis, his eyebrows begin to raise intriguingly when asked if he would be interested in moving up in weight to face unified super welterweight champion, Jermell Charlo.

“I love the credentials I have and I want to further my credentials,” said Thurman during an interview with FightHype.com. “That fight entices me as far as furthering my credentials. It would be hard to say no to all of the belts. It would be hard to say no to making history and becoming a champion once again in a new weight class.”

After settling for a split decision draw in his most recent ring appearance, Charlo, 31, has made his intentions clear that he fully intends on facing off against Brian Castano once again. The two swapped fists on July 17th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

With 12 rounds of mostly aggressive action, judges Tim Cheatham, Nelson Vazquez and Steve Weisfeld were unable to determine a winner. While Charlo vs. Castano may have been the most-watched fight on Showtime since December of 2019, averaging 422,000 throughout the night and peaking at 536,000, Thurman was not amongst those who tuned in to watch.

Regardless of his lack of interest in their matchup, Thurman is still fascinated with the possibility of moving up in weight to face the antagonistic knockout artist. If, in fact, he does make the trek seven pounds north and ultimately fails to become a two-division champion, Thurman believes he has a backup plan.

“Worst case scenario, I fall short, Thurman hops right back into the welterweight division.”

All in all, the possibility of heading to the 154-pound division would be something of a whirlwind for the Florida native. It isn’t that the former unified welterweight titlist is unwilling to move up in weight but in a moment of candid conversation, Thurman reveals that he envisioned the move happening when the light at the end of his boxing tunnel was a bit more closer.

“I’ve always had small admirations to move up but I just always felt that it would be a little bit more in that 34-35 age bracket. Maybe even at the last chapter of 36 and beyond. It’s always been a maybe later kind of issue. Too many belts, too much for the history books, I might have to sign up for that.”

Posted on 07/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For as much as both Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo don’t like each other, they share a considerable amount of similarities.

The pair turned pro in 2008 just a mere two months apart. Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) captured his first world title at 154 pounds in 2013. Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) quickly followed him one year later to win his first world championship one year later in the same weight class. Charlo would then bring home his second world title in as many weight classes in 2018 when he nabbed the WBC middleweight title. Following the same pattern, Andrade would do the same six months later, winning the WBO middleweight championship against Walter Kautondokwa.

At the moment, both Charlo and Andrade are considered the best that the 160-pound division has to offer. To end all debate on who should be crowned the best fighter in the weight class, fans have urged both men to step into the ring with each other. However, according to Ronnie Shields, trainer of Charlo, he advises that fans don’t hold their breath.

Simply put, the fight isn’t going to happen.

“It goes back years before to when Andrade signed a contract to fight his brother Jermell and Andrade was champion,” said Shields during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Andrade backed out of the fight. Once he did that, they said they’ll never give him an opportunity to make money with them, in the sport of boxing.”

In 2014, a matchup between Jermell Charlo and Andrade was thought to be signed sealed and delivered. Their contest was set to be the co-feature to Amir Khan vs. Devon Alexander at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Team Andrade was perturbed with what they believed was a low-fight offer to face Charlo.

According to Andrade’s father, Paul, his son was offered a contract of $250,000. Those numbers, however, were deemed unsatisfactory. Instead of pulling out of the fight immediately, team Andrade waited until the week of the fight to do so. Their thought process was that they wanted to give both sides more than enough time to increase the initial offer. Once team Andrade realized that more money was not coming down the pike, they opted to remove themselves from the card.

Although Charlo was found a replacement opponent, he lost a then, career-high payday and the opportunity to fight for a world title. Both Jermell and Jermall have pointed to that infamous incident as the main reason why a showdown between them is unlikely to ever occur.

But while fans believe Jermall Charlo and his team should move past those issues of the past, Shields doesn’t have that same thought process. With a chance to set the record straight on what exactly happened nearly a decade ago, Shields pulled back the curtain on everything that took place behind the scenes.

“Of course everybody wants to see it but some things are unforgivable,” explained Shields. “To me, that’s one of those things. You denied his brother an opportunity to fight for a world title, for no reason. Well, the reasoning was, he left his promoter and went to Jay-Z. Jay-Z didn’t like the fight and told him not to take it so he didn’t take it. That’s something he has to live with for the rest of his life.”

Posted on 07/19/2021

By: Oliver McManus

What should have been remembered as a fantastically ferocious fight between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano, has been cruelly overshadowed by an example of incompetent judging.

A fight that was set to return an undisputed champion at 154lbs suddenly turned into a hotbed of disputes: primarily around Nelson Vazquez’ 117-111 card in favour of Charlo.

It’s a scorecard that, ultimately, tarnishes what was a very good fight between two champions and has dragged the contest into the murky underbelly of the sport. There were moments of brightness for both men with Castano’s work rate consistently catching the eye.

The Argentinian, nearly five inches smaller, was able to consistently shimmy his way into the pocket and boxed with real flair. Charlo, though, ensured Castano had to work for the full twelve rounds: stinging his man in the second round and then continuing with some neat work. But, ultimately, not enough to get his nose ahead.

On any given day you’d suggest that the 114-114 card returned by Tim Cheatham would be ‘the anomaly’ scorecard and we’d all walk away a bit irked but with Castano at least crowned champion.

Therein lies the issue with the scorecards. All too often we see a bad card returned and caveat it with the phrase “at least the right man won.” Except, the right man didn’t get their hand raised on Saturday night. Castano was a worthy winner and should be basking in glory as a unified champion.

Instead, he’s the subject of a shocking scorecard and soundbites from Charlo suggesting he might be hesitant towards a rematch.

Poor scoring isn’t unique to the state of Texas: it’s endemic throughout boxing but this needs to run again for the sake of clarity. For the sake of the sanity of all those who stayed up and witnessed Castano take victory only for it to be snatched away.

Posted on 07/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

A look of disbelief was immediately plastered on the face of Jermell Charlo. The unified 154-pound titlist could hardly believe that his moment of glory was taken away from.

This past Saturday night at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, Charlo attempted to become the division’s first undisputed world champion since Winky Wright in 2004 when he took on WBO belt holder, Brian Castano. Charlo’s dreams, however, were put on hold as their contest was ruled a split decision draw.

Judge Steve Weisfeld scored it 114-113 in favor or Castano. Tim Cheatham, on the other hand, had it 114-114. Nelson Vazquez, the third and final judge handed in the most controversial scores as he had it 117-111 in favor of Charlo. While the Houston native believes that he did enough to pick up the win, even he was taken aback by the wide score of Vazquez.

“Honestly, I thought that it was a closer fight than it seemed,” said Charlo during the post-fight presser. “Somebody had it 117-111. I do feel like I won a little bit more rounds than he did. 117-111 was kind of a large range.”

Despite having over three decades of experience, Vazquez has been torn to shreds in the public eye. In the mind of most, Castano’s effective pressure won him the fight. According to the numbers, the Argentinian had a slight edge. He threw more punches 586 to Charlo’s 533, while also landing more, 173-151.

Regardless of his opponent’s work rate, Charlo had plenty of strong moments. Early in the second, the Houstonian clearly buzzed his man. Charlo then attempted to close the show but was unsuccessful in doing so. Charlo had similar success in the championship rounds. Nonetheless, he was unable to walk away from their contest with the victory.

As the unified 154-pound titlist looks back at his performance, he admits that Castano was a rugged warrior that wouldn’t stop coming no matter what was thrown in his direction. In the end, however, Charlo still believes that he should have added another world title to his championship mantle.

“Not to take anything away from what Brian Castano did but I feel like I pushed a lot harder than he did.”

Posted on 07/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jermell Charlo has always taken exception to his name not being mentioned on the vast majority of pound-for-pound lists. As the truculent Houston native scrolls through his boxing resume, he notices notable wins against the likes of Tony Harrison, Erickson Lubin and Jeison Rosario.

In the mind of the unified 154-pound titlist, there’s no reason why current WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford should be placed so high on the mythical list while he finds himself on the outside looking in.

“Y’all have Terence Crawford really high,” said Charlo during an interview with an ESPN writer. “Did y’all look at his opponents and who he fought?”

With Charlo believing that he deserves a spot on the list, the Houston product had the opportunity to solidify his claim. Last night, the 31-year-old took on current WBO 154 pound titlist, Brian Castaño. With a win, Charlo would have wrapped the final 154-pound world title around his waist to become the first undisputed Junior middleweight champion since Winky Wright in 2004.

His hopes will have to wait though, as he was forced to settle for a split decision draw. Seemingly unimpressed with his performance, Crawford pointed at Charlo’s performance as one of the main reasons why he isn’t mentioned amongst the best fighters in the world.

“Last night is the reason you not on the p4p (pound for pound) list sir,” said Crawford on his social media account. “Gotta do better.”

Despite the draw, the consensus surrounding Charlo’s showdown against Castaño was that he should have been given the loss. In the early goings, Castaño was able to pressure his man and land shots at will. While Charlo was much more selective with his punches, he did buzz the Argentinian several times throughout. His moments of success though, came few and far between. At least in the opinion of Crawford.

“Charlo lost. I’m done talking about it.”

Posted on 07/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Unlike previous opponents, Jermell Charlo found Brian Castano a much more difficult combatant to deal with.

The two stood mostly toe to toe at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas last night. On the line, was Charlo’s WBC, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine 154 pound titles – while Castano pushed his WBO belt to the middle of the table in a winner take all contest.

After appearing to fall behind early on the cards, Charlo rallied back in the second half of their contest. Still, the Houstonian’s comeback fell short of his desired results as he was forced to settle for a split decision draw.

While he was unhappy with the results, Charlo promises that in the sequel, he’ll be sure to place an exclamation point on his performance.

“I think I knock him out in the rematch,” said Charlo during an interview with FightHype.com following the draw.

Charlo’s prediction of a stoppage win in their inevitable rematch almost came to fruition last night. In the second, tenth and throughout the entirety of their showdown, Charlo visibly stunned his man. Admittedly, Castano tipped his cap to his Charlo and confirmed that he was in fact buzzed and needed time to recover.

In terms of the total body of work, Castano had the slight edge. The Argentinian native threw more punches, 586 to 533 and landed more, 173 to 151.

At times, Charlo was pressed against the ropes with nowhere to go. He would then cover up as Castano unloaded bombs in his direction. The unified 154-pound titlist didn’t result to letting his hands go, however. Instead, he picked his spots and landed the more powerful shots throughout.

While he’s incredulous at the way the fight was scored overall, Charlo still flashed a bright smile as he walked away with his world titles still tucked safely underneath his arms. Although Charlo has always opted for punch placement and timing as opposed to throwing countless shots, in the predestined rematch, the Houston native fully intends on coming out a bit more aggressive.

“I’ll be way more active, way more stronger and have way more confidence.”

Posted on 07/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

In just a few more hours, Brian Castaño will attempt to become the first undisputed 154-pound world champion in the four belt era when he takes on unified titlist, Jermell Charlo. The WBO belt holder smiles from ear to ear as he envisions having his hand held high in victory at the AT&T Center, in San Antonio, Texas.

Although he was ecstatic earlier this year in his title winning effort against Patrick Teixeira, becoming an undisputed world champion would not only represent his finest moment in the ring but in his entire life.

“This is the most important thing that ever happened in my life,” said Castaño during a recent interview with FightHype.com. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.”

While the Argentinian has put together an impressive professional resume, taking down the likes of Teixeira, stopping Wale Omotoso and recording a split decision draw against Erislandy Lara, the biggest win of his life actually came in the unpaid ranks.

As an amateur, Castaño compiled a record of 181-5-5. Amongst those wins, was against current unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr. Since he’s turned pro, Spence Jr., has looked nearly impossible to defeat. Yet, when the two stood across the ring from each other several years ago, Castaño explains that he dominated the Dallas native.

“It was a fight during the pre pan American games in Venezuela,” explained Castaño. “I even knocked him down twice. It was a fight where everything was intense but I put him down on the mat twice. I’m never going to forget it but I’m focused on Saturday night.”

While Castaño (17-0-1, 12 KOs) claims to have dropped Spence Jr. twice during their showdown, the unified titlist appeared incoherent by the entire ordeal. With their showdown taking place roughly a decade ago, Spence Jr. claims that he “doesn’t remember,” how things played out.

Regardless of what took place several years, Castaño refuses to have a win over Spence Jr. in the amateurs define his professional career. With oddsmakers backing Charlo (34-1, 18 KOs) in a major way, the Argentinian merely wants to add to his already growing legacy and prove everyone wrong in the process.

“I’m focused on Saturday night, I want to make history.”

Currently, both Charlo and Spence Jr. are stablemates as they work closely with head trainer Derrick James. Although they’ve been known to go to war during their sparring sessions, Charlo revealed that he didn’t get the chance to step into the ring with Spence Jr. in preparation for his matchup against Castaño.

Regardless of that, the truculent knockout artist believes he’s more than ready to hand Castaño the first loss of his professional career. After stopping his three most recent opponents in Jorge Cota, Tony Harrison and Jeison Rosario, Charlo has been on a knockout spree. With that said, Castaño is firmly of the belief that while he’ll be cautious of the firepower his opponent brings to the table, he’ll be prepared to deal with him.

“I have to watch out for the isolated punches. Charlo has three belts for a reason. He’s a quality fighter and a true champion. I’m ready to go.”

Posted on 07/16/2021

By: Hector Franco

Often times the current era of boxing is maligned and castigated as being less than eras of the past. While no one would describe this period as a “golden era” or compare it to the 1980s, there are a few standout positives that should be appreciated.

This weekend at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, unified WBC, WBA, and IBF junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (34-1, 18 KOs) will step in the ring against WBO junior middleweight champion Brian Castano (17-0-1, 12 KOs) to crown an undisputed champion in the division.

Charlo has arguably been the most consistent junior middleweight over the last decade. He has been in the world title scene for over the previous five years. The Texas native was tested climbing up the rankings towards a world title facing the likes of Demetrius Hopkins, Gabriel Rosado, and Vanes Martirosyan.

When he first won the vacant WBC junior middleweight title, stopping John Jackson in eight rounds in May 2016, Charlo went on to make three defenses which included a win over former junior middleweight champion Austin Trout and a first-round knockout over the up and coming Erickson Lubin.

The first bump in the road for Charlo came against Detroit, Michigan’s Tony Harrison. Charlo would lose a close unanimous decision to Harrison in December 2018. However, almost a year to the day later, in December 2019, Charlo reclaimed his WBC title by stopping Harrison in eleven rounds.

After becoming a two-time WBC junior middleweight champion by stopping Harrison, Charlo would face the Dominican Republic’s Jeison Rosario, who at the time held the WBA and IBF junior middleweight titles.

Incredibly, Charlo stopped Rosario with a jab to the body in the eighth round to hold three of the four major titles in the division.

Charlo’s experience and level of competition have given him a sense of confidence that has emboldened him not to feel any pressure going against Castano.

“I don’t have any pressure on me,” Charlo said at the final press conference. “I’ve been in this position so many times in my life. If I felt the pressure, I wouldn’t be in this moment. He has to come and do his thing.

“He has to put the pressure on me and avoid these bombs I’m throwing.”

A victory for Charlo would put him in a rare category as being an undisputed champion. Still, it could place him amongst the best fighters to have fought at junior middleweight.

The junior middleweight division has a dynamic history as it has featured some of the best fighters in the sport’s history.

The weight class first came to fruition in 1962, crowning Emile Griffith as its first champion. Some of the best fighters to ply their trade in the division include Ronald Wright, who was the premier fighter at 154 in the 2000s, Mike McCallum and Thomas Hearns reigned in the 1980s, and Terry Norris, who ruled in the 1990s.

Hearns was named the greatest junior middleweight of all time in 1994 by Ring Magazine.

The weight class has also been a pit stop for some of the most notable names in boxing. Ray Leonard defeated Ayub Kalule in 1981 to win the WBA junior middleweight title before his mega-bout with Hearns.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. used junior middleweight for a majority of his highest-grossing bouts against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, and even Conor McGregor.

Charlo is aware of the historical significance of becoming the undisputed champion at junior middleweight and what it would mean for his career.

“This is a major fight because it’s history for me and my family,” Charlo said. “It’s huge for everyone that I represent, and that’s been supporting me for all these years. It was due time to get in there for this fight.

“The belts and the money are not on my mind. What’s on my mind is the legacy.”

Posted on 07/12/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jermell Charlo is simply watching the clock tick down at this point.

The unified 154-pound titlist is a mere days away from making history. This coming Saturday night on July 17th, Charlo will put his IBF, WBA, and WBC titles on the line against WBO belt holder, Brian Castaño.

For Houston’s Charlo, he’s anxious to enter boxing’s history books. As he continues to mentally prepare himself for his shining moment, he takes the time to reflect on just how special and rare becoming an undisputed world champion truly is.

“This is a huge fight for me,” said Charlo on a recent episode of ALL ACCESS. “I want to take this victory home, make history and become a legend in this sport. This is something that the great Floyd Mayweather hasn’t accomplished.”

While Mayweather went on to win world titles in five different weight classes and took down every opponent placed in front of him, the newly inducted Hall of Famer failed to become an undisputed world champion. If Charlo notches the win this Saturday night, not only would he become the first undisputed champion at 154 pounds since Winky Wright in 2004 but he would also become the first to accomplish the feat in the four-belt era.

Although Charlo is hungry to accomplish a lifelong dream, Castano won’t lay down for his highly-rated opponent. The Argentinian picked up the most impressive win of his career earlier this year, outpointing Patrick Teixeira to snag his first world title.

Currently, Charlo is pegged as a considerable favorite. Still, despite the public backing, the Houstonian doesn’t view Castaño as some pushover. Having watched some of his recent bouts, including his split decision draw against Erislandy Lara in 2019, Charlo is fully aware of the relentless pressure and volume attack that his man brings to the table.

In spite of that, Charlo appears unintimidated with the hard-hitting Argentinian. Regardless of whom is standing across the ring, Charlo will always back himself.

“I’m not underestimating nobody. I know for a fact what I have to deal with but I consider myself one of the best fighters on the planet.”