Tag Archives: Jermell Charlo
Erickson Lubin Eyeing Matchups With Jarrett Hurd And Julian Williams If No Charlo Rematch Says Head Trainer
By: Hans Themistode
The risk often outweighs the reward. That’s frequently the case when a fighter finds himself in a mandatory position.
Too many times have we seen fighters scratch and claw their way to the number one ranking in a specific sanctioning body, only to lose everything in the blink of an eye due to one bad night at the office.
The options are usually reduced to two at that point. Either said fighter sits back and waits a protracted amount of time for his shot, or he takes on an heralded opponent with little to no chance of an upset happening.
Jr middleweight contender Erickson Lubin isn’t a fan of either option. And while he’s already ranked number one in the WBC for Jermell Charlo’s title, that doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to risk it all.
“We are hoping for the mandatory shot at Charlo next,” said Lubin’s head trainer Kevin Cunningham to BoxingScene.com. “If Charlo isn’t next, I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind seeing Erickson Lubin versus Jarret Hurd or Erickson Lubin versus Julian Williams. Most fighters that get in mandatory position sit until they get the title shot. Hammer wants to stay busy. He is willing to face the other top guys until he gets a shot.”
Lubin, 25, has a second chance at a first impression. After winning ESPN’s prospect of the year in 2016, the Florida native was fast tracked to a world title shot against the aforementioned Charlo one year later.
The hype train surrounding him was quickly derailed as a Charlo right hand left him down and out in the first round. He’s since bounced back in a huge way, winning five straight and finding himself in the mandatory position once again.
If Lubin gets his wish, he’ll be facing Charlo in his next fight with revenge on his mind. But he’ll find his man a bit heavier this time around thanks to several additional world titles due to his eighth round stoppage win over Jeison Rosario.
As much as Cunningham would love for his man to begin his own title reign, he knows that Charlo has a bevy of options in front of him.
“Hammer’s sitting in a good position and we’re waiting to see how things play out. Big props to Jermell Charlo for his KO win over Rosario. I agree with Max Kellerman, Charlo is the undisputed junior middleweight champion. Hammer’s Charlo’s WBC mandatory but Charlo has mandatories with the WBA and IBF also. There’s also talk of a Charlo-Teixeira unification for the WBO.”
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The Charlo Twins Against The World
By: Hans Themistode
Both Jermell and Jermall Charlo have always been the flashiest, loudest and most confident in the room. The rest of said room, haven’t always been appreciative of their pugnacious ways, but they could care less.
WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo and now, unified Jr middleweight champion Jermell Charlo–held the first ever doubleheader Pay-Per-View event this past Saturday night. It was billed as a two for one special as the pair of twins headlined separate events in what many considered the biggest test of their careers.
Jermall, 30, defended his title in one sided fashion against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. At no point was the two division titlist in any sort of trouble as he pounded the Ukrainian native round after round. On the other end of the coin, Jermall’s twin in Jermell, had an even more explosive night. Dropping former unified champion Jeison Rosario several times over before stopping him violently in the eighth round.
A twin doubleheader for a pair of identical Houston born twins was unique in every sense of the word. But after showing that something different can work, Jermell is hoping that they can start a new trend.
“Man I hope man, I hope,” said Jermell when asked if these twin doubleheaders could continue down the line. “It’ll be something new for the world of boxing.”
Both Charlo twins have always looked dominant inside of the ring. But many wondered what they would do when faced with real competition on a big stage.
In Derevyanchenko, Jermall (31-0, 22 KOs) faced someone with one helluva edge in terms of experience. With over 350 wins in the amateurs and two super close fights against Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin, the latter in which many believed he did enough to win, Derevyanchenko was a real test for Jermall.
For Jermell (34-1, 18 KOs), his contest against Rosario was thought to be more dangerous when considering how he previously left former unified champion Julian Williams unconscious in only five rounds.
Simply put, predictions surrounding how they would fair were split down the middle. With being said, both Charlo’s simply kept their heads down and continued to prepare. But just because they had tunnel vision leading up to their matchups, doesn’t mean they weren’t paying attention to the doubters and “haters.”
Now that things have gone their way, their calling everyone out. Even those who cut their check.
“I hope that we proved all of these haters wrong tonight. I saw a whole lot of yak on that Instagram and Twitter. I heard our boss that owns Showtime in Stephen Espinoza, say don’t be surprised if both of the Charlo’s lose. He thought that me and my brother were both going to lose.”
Watching how both Charlo’s dominated their opposition, something seemed to be missing. There was no roar of the crowd when Jermall landed any of his head cracking shots. And no one jumped to their feet when Jermell left Rosario convulsing on the ground.
It was dead silent. But while fighting in an empty arena is something that most boxers are growing accustomed to amid COVID-19, Jermell believes no one has ever cheered them on in the first place.
“We feel like we’re alone in this world and that’s why we’re taking everybody out one by one.”
With no night clubs open to celebrate with a few bottles, the Charlo twins took a more mundane approach to the biggest wins of their career.
“I just celebrate with my brother,” said Jermell. “He’s my biggest fan. It’s just me and my brother against the world. This is something that we wanted our whole lives.”
The 154 and 160 pound divisions remain one of the hottest in all of boxing. With fighters such as Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez and Demetrius Andrade hovering around Jermall’s fight neighborhood and Jarrett Hurd, Julian Williams and Erislandy Lara hovering around Jermell’s, neither Charlo is worried about the long list of contenders waiting for them.
“We hear to stay,” said Jermall.
“The Charlo twins are taking the fuck over,” exclaimed Jermell.
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Jermell Charlo vs Jeison Rosario Weigh-In Results
By: Hans Themistode
Jermell Charlo could hardly keep his eyes off Jeison Rosario’s world titles.
The WBC Jr middleweight titlist has long wanted to become a unified champion and in just a few more hours, he’ll get a chance to do just that.
Jeison Rosario stepped onto the stage at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut with his shoe coverings and face masks on, and easily came in under the Jr middleweight weight limit by weighing in at 153½ pounds.
An amped up Charlo soon followed. The Houston native also had no issues as he tipped the scales at 153¾ pounds.
For Rosario, he’ll look to make oddsmakers and his doubters look silly once again in his first Pay-Per-View headliner.
Earlier this year, the 25 year old Rosario walked into a pre COVID-19 raucous Philadelphia crowd and ripped away the IBF, WBA and IBO world titles away from then champion Julian Williams.
During the lead up of that contest, Rosario, a 15-1 underdog, was mostly dismissed. Predictions of how a Williams vs Charlo matchup would play out quickly became the talking point.
One deleterious left hand however, left those hypothetical thoughts moot.
Simply put, Rosario beat down the Philadelphia native via fifth round stoppage. That success hasn’t exactly translated to respect as oddsmakers have made a sizable underdog at 5-1 against Charlo.
The pugnacious 30 year old has been on the road to a unification for several years now. Since winning the WBC title four years ago, a matchup with then champion Jarrett Hurd was presumptively next. Then of course, the titles began their merry go round-esque tour of the division.
First, Hurd lost his titles to Williams. Then Charlo lost his belt to Tony Harrison. Williams was brutally stopped by Rosario and last but not least, Charlo violently ended his rivalry with Harrison and became a world champion again.
Now, that brings us to tomorrow night. There’s a lot of the line for both men. Sure three world titles will be handed to the winner, but so will the consensus number one spot in the Jr middleweight division.
The action for this card kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, with the Pay-Per-View costing $74.95.
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Double The Trouble For The Charlo Twins?
By: Kirk Jackson
Double the Trouble for the Charlo Twins?
Let’s try this again, take two.
The last time the Charlo brothers collectively headlined a Premier Boxing Champions event, it did not turn out too well for the talented twins.
The scene of the crime dates back to December 22, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The card, televised by FOX, featured Jermell Charlo defending his WBC Jr middleweight title against Tony Harrison and Jermall Charlo defending his WBC interim middleweight title in the main event against substitute replacement Matt Korobov.
Jermell lost a closely contested unanimous decision to Harrison, while Jermall won a highly competitive unanimous decision against Korobov.
This go-round, WBC middleweight champion Jermall “Hitman” Charlo (30-0, 22 KO’s) takes on Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KO’s) while brother Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (33-1, 17 KO’s) faces Jeison “El Banana” Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KO’s) in a Jr middleweight unification match.
Without question, this event features the greatest collection of talent and competition since the life-altering pandemic shook things up earlier this year.
Focusing on the respective main events; each Charlo brother is the A-side, the attraction of the match-up and each is positioned in a dangerous fight with a solid chance of suffering defeat.
As stated earlier, the last time the Charlo brothers collectively headlined an event, Jermell lost. Some may think of it as a jinx or curse, other pundits believe this was the result of matchmaking. Harrison is a highly-skilled, underrated fighter, with athleticism to match Jermell’s.
The Detroit native utilized successful tactics that Austin Trout and John Jackson implored in previous battles against Jermell. Harrison’s height posed a problem, along with his long reach and swift, consistent jab that disrupted Jermell’s timing and kept him off balance. Harrison lateral side to side movement, various angles and ability to fight off the back foot posed problems for “Iron Man” as well.
“I bounced back from that loss to Tony Harrison in 2018 last year, but there were still things I needed to learn and develop. We’re going to end 2020 with a bang. This is the Charlo show,” said Jermell, during a virtual media workout.
“After I lost in 2018, I told everyone that it just gave me jet fuel and that when I come back, I’m coming back full throttle. That’s what I’m about. I have nothing to lose. I’m not letting him take anything from me. I’m even more dangerous than I was before. I’m an old school fighter right here. I’ve been dedicated to this game and I’m not going anywhere. Stay out of my way, because I’m the man trucking things.”
Although Harrison and Rosario are different styled fighters, what can Rosario implement to have success against a highly motivated, focused Jermell?
There are five factors that may work in the favor of Rosario this weekend.
“It’s no pressure for me, it’s more motivation,” Rosario told CBS Sports last week through a translator. “I have always come in as the underdog even though I don’t think as one. If I am supposed to lose, no one told me the script. They didn’t tell me that. Somebody forgot to tell me the script that I’m supposed to lose in this fight. I’m used to it and there is absolutely zero pressure on me. This is just another night where I will be able to showcase my talent.”
One of the attributes, or series of intangibles rather, that may aid Rosario is his lack of fear, intimidation and pressure. If this holds true, by the time these gladiators enter the ring, he will have the ability to be loose and perform at a high level. Some athletes fold under pressure and there’s a saying stating pressure busts pipes… More on that later.
Although Rosario has a shorter reach, both men see eye to eye as they measure the exact same height. He is just as big size-wise as well. Punching power may be the deciding factor in this match-up. Although the knockouts tallied on his record may not truly reflect Jermell’s developed punching power, over the course of the last few years, he’s repeatedly left his opponents in a state of unconsciousness.
Rosario is a heavy handed, proficient knockout artist as well. His last performance against Julian “J-Rock” Williams exemplified such, stopping the Philadelphia-bred fighter in five rounds. How often will Rosario’s hands connect? And is Jermell’s chin and body truly made of iron?
Ah, now back to pressure – the pressure that bursts pipes. Even though he lost the rematch, Harrison experienced great success applying pressure against Jermell last year. Harrison spent a good portion of the middle rounds walking Jermell down, stalking and stinging with his jab and even outfighting Jermell in their exchanges within the trenches. It looked as though the young lion was at times uncomfortable with the pressure.
Granted, different athletic ability and skill sets with Rosario and Harrison, but it’s a formula for Rosario to follow. Given his disadvantage of reach and necessity to impose his strength on the inside, it’s imperative for Rosario to successfully apply consistent pressure. The application of mental and physical pressure could make things uncomfortable for Jermell.
The fifth factor is placing all these ingredients together. Jeison Rosario has come a long way and he steadily improves with every fight. At 25, he hasn’t reached his peak, but he will need to continue his development and showcase those results. He will need to display high-level boxing catered to his skill set, to adjust to whatever Jermell brings to the table.
Simply put, the 154 pound belt holder won’t have an easy time unifying titles on the night. With that being said, his twin brother’s task may be even more arduous.
With two failed opportunities to wrap championship gold around his waist against Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin respectively, Sergiy Derevyanchenko is hoping that the third time is the charm.
Both defeats were highly competitive bouts, with knockdowns suffered against each opponent possibly serving as the difference.
Jermall is aware of Derevyanchenko’s talent and the threat he poses as a challenger. But he is fully prepared and this is the fight he wanted.
“This is just the beginning for me. There’s been 30 fighters who’ve tried to beat me, and all 30 failed,” Jermall said in a recent virtual media interview. “We’ll get a chance to get in there and do what we do best on Saturday. Talk is cheap. We’ll see where that green belt goes on Saturday.”
“I’m focused and locked in. I’m ready to fight. Sergiy can say what he wants to say about me, it’s going to be a fight on Saturday.”
For Derevyanchenko, there are factors that may come into play for his benefit. Work rate, style, experience, jinx and desperation.
The Ukrainian has a great style of utilizing angles with superb footwork and unleashing a myriad of punches at differing angles with his work rate. While Jermall has displayed the ability to box from the outside and fight off his jab, any opponent of either Charlo, is probably best suited with attacking and forcing either Charlo to be reactive, as opposed to being the initiators.
Forcing Jermall to be reactive is important because sometimes, he tends to load up on his shots. The “Hitman,” may get lulled into looking for that one power shot to change the fight. If this is a constant theme for Jermall this weekend, Derevyanchenko has the opportunity to outwork and tally up points.
“I’m going to put pressure on him from the beginning. I’m going to use my legs, my jab and combinations to get the win,” Derevyanchenko said. “This is a big fight. When I win, even more opportunities will open up. I’ll be able to unify and take my career to the next level.”
The biggest factor will be experience. Jermall has more fights as a professional and a steady level of opposition faced. His most recent ring outing against Matt Korobov for example, was a great learning experience. However, having faced Jacobs and Golovkin, many pundits believe Derevyanchenko’s experiences against his list of high-level opposition will serve him well in the fight this weekend.
Derevyanchenko will have to start fast, something he didn’t do against Jacobs or Golovkin, as he cannot afford to fall too far behind on the cards. Jermall represents a different type of fighter with his combination of skills, power and accuracy. He also displays a greater measure of discipline, compared to his earlier fights. Derevyanchenko will have to lean on his experiences and make the adjustments round after round, minute after minute, punch after punch.
Following the cue from Korobov, Derevyanchenko will have to use range effectively to frustrate and neutralize Jermall’s offense. Feint, smother, get outside far from Jermall’s comfort zone and repeat. Illustrate why he is regarded as the technician.
The last factor to consider, is the twin effect. Because they’re so close and are both passionate people, it can be quite the task managing emotions, while preparing for a fight only hours apart.
Both brothers admittedly remarked on the difficulties of preparation while worrying about the other. Granted, it can also be inspirational, but there can be negatives aspects as well.
At stake for Jermall Charlo is the chance to grab a firm hold of the middleweight division. With Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s absence, uncertainty with Demetrius Andrade and Gennady Golovkin’s perceived unwillingness to participate in unification’s with anyone not named the aforementioned Alvarez, the two-division world champion wants to exercise his dominance at 160 lbs., before moving up in efforts to conquer the super middleweight division.
“I’m stronger, I’m smarter, I’m better than I used to be,” Jermall said. “He’ll [Sergiy Derevyanchenko] come straight at me and fight. Everyone is doubting me. They are doubting me. I’ve been doubted for years. There’s no anger here.”
“I don’t care what they say about me. I don’t care what they think about me. I’m a fighter. I challenge myself. Hey, I’m the best in the world.”
Jermell Charlo seeks redemption (from the last PBC Charlo Twin headliner) and wants to show the world who the best Jr middleweight is.
“When you think of a lion, you think of family and vicious animals. You have to fight for it,” Jermell said. “We took the road when we was younger and made it out. From where I’m from, not many kids make it out.”
“Rosario, he is just one man and I am just one man. If you are better than me, beat me. You may think it’s just that easy, it ain’t that easy. I want all the belts and right now, I feel like I’m the king of the division.”
Both brothers face stiff tests this weekend. The action in the ring will more than likely match the intrigue of the surrounding plots for each participant. We’ll see if Lions do in fact rule the jungle this weekend.
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Trainer Derrick James On Jeison Rosario: “He’s A Devastating, Violent Puncher”
By: Hans Themistode
Jeison Rosario didn’t seem to be anything special.
He began his career like any typical prospect. Meaning he ran right through lower level opposition. In his first official step up contest however, he was brutally knocked out by fringe contender Nathaniel Gallimore. Two fights later, Rosario would have to settle for a split draw against Mark Hernandez, further solidifying his spot on the bottom of the totem pole.
Yet with six straight wins under his belt, trainer Derrick James is noticing a pattern.
“He gets better and better with each fight,” said James during an interview with Fight Hub. “He’s put together some pretty good fights, he’s a tough guy, he’s a big guy and a big puncher.”
Rosario, 25, further cemented the thoughts of James in his last contest when the heavy underdog in Rosario walked into the backyard of then unified Jr middleweight champion Julian Williams and not only won the titles, but ripped them away from the lifeless body of the Philadelphia native as he was left slumped over the ropes in the fifth round.
“I watched that fight and I thought man, this guy is pretty good.”
Rosario may have upset the odds once this year, but bookies and wise guys aren’t expecting him to make them look silly two times in a row as he takes on a Derrick James led fighter in WBC Jr middleweight belt holder Jermell Charlo this Saturday night.
Something interesting has happened to the aforementioned Charlo. During the early portion of his career, judges knew his name quite well. Reason being is that most of his contest lasted until the final bell. Sure he had a bit of pop in his punches, but for the most part, he seemed more than content with out boxing his opponents.
Yet, the moment he won his world title in 2016, a light switch turned on for the Houston native. Whether he went the full 12 rounds or stopped his opponents in their tracks, he realized that his paycheck remained the same.
From there, he began leaving his opposition unconscious early and often.
Still, even with Charlo’s tendency of laying out his opponents, he may take a backseat to Rosario in terms of power. The Dominican Republic native has knocked out three of his past four opponents and 14 of his total 22 pro contests have ended in a Rosario stoppage win.
When questioned about his power, Charlo seemed both unimpressed and unconcerned. James on the other hand, has his antenna’s up.
“He’s a devastating puncher. He’s a very violent puncher. He punches with violent intent.”
The knockouts always get the most attention, but doing so will leave many to believe that he’s a one trick pony. Thankfully for Charlo however, James isn’t most people and he’s done a thorough background check on every skill that Rosario has in his arsenal.
“He’s patient and blocks shots, he’s also good at counter punching. He’s just a well rounded fighter. But the better the opposition is, the better Jermell is. But I’m sure Rosario is the same way. I think you could be possibly looking at fight of the year.”
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Erickson Lubin: “Jermell To Me Is A True Champion But I Don’t Feel Like He’s Better Than Me”
By: Hans Themistode
The world titles in the Jr. middleweight division have found themselves on a never ending merry-go-round.
The first stop for the IBF and WBA titles was at the feet of Jarrett Hurd. The Maryland native would see his title reign last roughly a year and a half until his championship belts decided it was time to make another trip, this time to Philadelphia.
Julian Williams found himself next up on the merry-go-round, winning the titles from Hurd in May of last year. Yet by the time the Philadelphia native reached out to put the world titles on his mantle, Jeison Rosario snatched them away from him, stopping the now former champion in the fifth round of his first title defense.
The most recent stop on the merry-go-round was in Detroit where Tony Harrison gladly took his turn. Much like Williams though, Harrison saw his title reign truncated the moment he attempted to defend his controversially won belt against Jermell Charlo.
Even with the numerous short title runs, the record books will always say that fighters such as Harrison and Williams were once world champions, but for contender Erickson Lubin, their title runs shouldn’t even count.
“A lot of what’s been going on is these champions will win the belt one time and then they fight again and lose it. To me their not considered a true champion,” said Lubin on the Premier Boxing Champions podcast. “Like yeah they won the belt and that’s cool and all but when I win the belt I’m looking to keep the belt until I retired. A true champion in my book is someone who gets the belts and defends them. They defend the belts, keep winning the belts and go up in weight classes and win more belts.”
Lubin (22-1, 14 KOs) has his own chance to place himself in front of the championship line. This weekend, the former amateur standout will take on former Olympian Terrell Gausha in a WBC eliminator contest. Should he win, Lubin will find himself fighting for another world title.
Three years ago, Lubin was on the brink of etching his name as a world champion. Yet, he ran smack into the right hand of Charlo on the night which ended his dreams in the first round. Fast forward to today however, and the highly rated contender believes that he’s better than ever.
“I been grinding ever since I took my loss and I been improving ever since I took my loss. I was dangerous before I loss but now that I took that loss I got with Kevin Cunningham and we improving in everything.”
The trash talk leading up to Charlo and Lubin’s matchup was entertaining to say the least. At every turn both fighters would jaw off at one another to no end.
In short, there was no love lost. The two may not see eye to eye, but Lubin respects his skillset. With that being said, even with a knockout loss, he still doesn’t believe he plays second fiddle to anyone. Including Charlo.
“Jermell to me is a true champion. He was able to get that belt and defend it. Even though he loss to Tony Harrison he went back and made a statement. He proved that the first fight was controversial, so to me he’s a true champion. But I don’t feel like he’s better than me. He did beat me so he’s considered better then me to the fans and everyone else but I can’t wait. When the time comes we’ll definitely be ready.”
Not only does Lubin need to get past Gausha this weekend, but Charlo has some work to do as well. The current WBC belt holder will meet with unified champion Jeison Rosario in a FOX Pay-Per-View headliner on September 26th.
Lubin doesn’t expect it to be easy, but for the first time in his career, he’s on team Charlo.
“It’s a toss up but I’m thinking that Charlo is going to beat him,” explained Lubin. “Charlo is more of the seasoned veteran and he’s more athletic in my opinion. If he sits in there and trades shots with Rosario then that’s a bad idea in my opinion. But he moves his feet way more and he has some punching power. With Rosario I feel like he’s never been on this stage before.”
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Erislandy Lara Eyeing Another Title Opportunity: “I Want The Winner Of Charlo-Rosario”
By: Hans Themistode
Erislandy Lara has always found himself in the most intriguing matchups in the Jr middleweight division.
Two years ago in 2018, Lara (26-3-3, 15 KOs) and former unified champion Jarrett Hurd gave fight fans their money’s worth when the two went head to head. One year later, Lara and his dance partner in Brian Castano gave one helluva performance.
Even Lara’s most recent ring appearance against Ramon Alvarez brought a bit of buzz seeing how Ramon is the older brother of pound for pound star Canelo Alvarez.
This Saturday however, the buzz is relatively low for what many expect to be a truncated night the moment Lara lands a significant punch against Greg Vendetti (22-3-1, 12 KOs).
Taking a backseat is something that the Cuban born fighter isn’t accustomed to, but even he knows there is a much more significant contest taking place in the very weight class that he’s presided in seemingly forever.
On September 26th, a pair of title holders in Jermell Charlo and Jeison Rosario will meet up in a Fox Pay-Per-View unification bout. Lara, 37, believes he knows who the winner will be, but that won’t stop him from tuning in on the night with popcorn in hand.
“That’s going to be a good fight,” Lara told BoxingScene,com. “Rosario will not back down to Charlo and that makes for an exciting fight because we all know Jermell is a powerful puncher. I have to give the edge to Charlo because of his experience.”
Lara’s choice of Charlo stems from both respect for his skills and a once close friendship. The two formerly trained under the guidance of trainer Ronnie Shields until Charlo abruptly left to partner up with Derrick James.
The move proved to be a sagacious one as Charlo went on to become a world champion two times over and developed from a pure boxer, to a jaw breaking knockout artist.
While working under the same umbrella, a matchup between the two seemed as likely as Tyson Fury taking on Floyd Mayweather. But now that they haven’t worked together for years, both fighters have been more than receptive to the idea of a showdown.
In a perfect world for the former title holder, he’ll blast out Vendetti in short order then sit back and wait for the winner on September 26th.
“Of course, I want the winner of Charlo-Rosario because I want to fight the best. I’m ready to face anyone in the world.”
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Jermell Charlo: “If Floyd Wants To Come Back Then Best Believe He’s Going To Fight Me First
By: Hans Themistode
His exhibition contest against Tenshin Nasukawa notwithstanding, Floyd Mayweather has not entered a boxing ring since his 2017 tenth round knockout against Conor McGregor. Yet, that hasn’t stopped countless boxers from calling him out.
Adding his name to the Mayweather sweepstakes that has seemingly been long closed, is current WBC Jr middleweight titlist Jermell Charlo.
Mayweather has always kept the door open just enough for those around the boxing world to speculate if he would return. He recently claimed in late 2019 that he would in fact enter the ring sometime this year but nothing actually materialized from his announcement.
Whether or not he does return to the ring is an ambiguous question. But if he does decide to lace up the gloves again, Charlo believes there is only one name that he should be calling.
“If Floyd wants to come back then best believe he’s going to fight me first,” said Charlo during a recent Instagram live rant. “If he wants to fight a boxer and not an MMA fighter though. If he wants to fight a boxer and he wants a hard fight, then call me.”
A matchup between Charlo and Mayweather has never come close to happening in the past, and seems like an even bigger pipe dream at this current moment. Mayweather, 43, has been linked to eight division world champion and former rival Manny Pacquiao as well as several MMA stars including Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Charlo on the other hand, has his own business to take care of. On September 26th, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Connecticut, he’ll take on unified champion Jeison Rosario on pay-per-view.
In no way is Charlo overlooking his opponent, but a win, at least according to him, is a guarantee.
Should he walk out of that contest with his hand raised, Charlo will have a near perfect record and three of the four titles at 154 pounds. Still, even with his popularity soaring and his trophy case overflowing, the Houston native believes that Mayweather will and should steer clear of him should he return.
“I’m going to be honest, fighting me, the risk is not the same,” explained Charlo. “The reward and the risk does not match and I understand that. So I would tell Floyd do everything that he can to keep making money and feed his family. But there are some people in this boxing world that you want to stay away from and I know consciously that I’m one of them.”
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Jermell and Jermall Charlo Are Ready For The Next Step: “Now is Our Time to be PPV Stars; Pound For Pound”
By: Hans Themistode
Both Jermell and Jermall Charlo have spent their entire lives sharing. As twin brothers this comes as no surprise. But on September 26th, they will share a once in a lifetime moment with one another as they’ll headline a FOX PPV.
Jermall, who holds the WBC middleweight title, will look to pull off the biggest win of his career when he takes on former two time title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs). The Ukrainian born contender is best known for his work against Daniel Jacobs in October of 2018 and Gennadiy Golovkin in October of 2019. On both occasions, he found himself on the short end of the stick, but saw his stock rise with each defeat.
With a third crack at the championship apple, Derevyanchenko is hoping to hear the announcer say “And New” once the night is over. The thought of losing his title however, hasn’t crossed the mind of Jermall. With matchups against Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin possibly in his immediate future, the WBC titlist is focused solely on Derevyanchenko.
“This guy is rated number one in the world,” said Jermall to Brain Custer during a recent Zoom interview. “He’s going to take the job seriously and so am I.”
The word boring has never been associated with a Jermall Charlo fight, and come September 26th, he isn’t expecting that narrative to change.
“We’re going to both meet in the middle and let our hands go. May the best man win. My game plan will be to shut his game plan down.”
Jermall (30-0, 22 KOs) has always wanted the spotlight to himself, but he is more than happy to share it with his twin brother and fellow champion Jermell (33-1, 17 KOs).
Meeting him on the night will be the upset minded Jeison Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs), who holds two major titles in the Jr middleweight division. The Dominican Republic born champion made the betting world look silly earlier this year against then champion Julian Williams. Rosario stepped into the former champions backyard in Philadelphia and didn’t just take the titles from Williams, he ripped them away with a fifth round stoppage.
Despite his big time win, Jermell is expecting his title reign to be truncated the moment they step inside the ring against one another.
“I don’t want to leave it up to the judges, I learned that in my past,” said Jermell to Brain Custer. “I deliver knockouts, that’s what I do.”
There is a lot riding on the line for the Charlo twins on the night of September 26th. For Jermall, a win over Derevyanchenko won’t simply shut the mouths of his critics, and for Jermell, winning his contest against Rosario will bring him much more than an additional two titles.
No, for the Charlo twins, they believe that this is their shining moment while the rest of the world is sequestered at home with no other choice but to tune in.
Titles and big wins are secondary for them.
“We will let everyone in the world see the great things that me and my twin brother have done in the sport of boxing,” said Jermall.
“Now is our time to be PPV stars. Everyone will say that they are boxing, and that they are pound for pound.”
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Jermell Charlo and Jeison Rosario Are on Course For A Unification Contest Later This Year
By: Hans Themistode
One title has never been enough for WBC Jr middleweight belt holder Jermell Charlo. For years, he begged for a showdown with WBA/IBF champ Jarrett Hurd and seemed to be on his way to having his wish granted.
Yet, as fate would have it, their showdown was not meant to be. Charlo suffered a surprise loss to Tony Harrison while Hurd took one on the chin against Julian Williams. Charlo however, would go on to grab his title back from Harrison and immediately set his sights on Williams. But once again, fate stepped in as Jeison Rosario snatched the titles from him earlier this year.
With the IBF and WBA titles going from fighter to fighter like a carousel, Charlo is hoping that he’ll be next to claim them as he and Rosario are headed towards a showdown.
According to Steve Kim of ESPN, Rosario’s request to bypass his mandatory and jump straight into a unification matchup with Charlo was accepted by the IBF. Sources have also told Kim that negotiations are moving along in a positive direction and the contest is being targeted for late September.
For Charlo, news of a showdown with Rosario is music to his ears. Since the unified champion placed himself on the map with his fifth round pounding over Julian Williams, Charlo was the first person to raise his hand to be his next opponent.
Any thoughts of a competitive matchup between the two will be laughable to Charlo. Once the pair step inside of the ring together, he is expecting one way traffic.
“I’m here to eat,” said Charlo to Ray Flores of Premier Boxing Champions several months ago. “If he’s in the way then he’s getting trucked. It’s been a dream to get all of the belts.”
Pre-fight trash talk is something that Charlo has always excelled in, but as for Rosario, he showed no interest in puffing out his chest and making threats to Charlo several months ago. He simply wants to step inside of the ring and prove who is the best fighter in the Jr middleweight division.
“I want to unify the 154-pound division,” said Rosario to Ray Flores several months ago. “My objective, if I have my choice, is Jermell Charlo. He is the best in the division, and I want to prove that I am truly the best at 154.”
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Trainer Derrick James Backs Jermell Charlo Over Jeison Rosario
By: Hans Themistode
The fans were sent home stunned when their man, former unified Jr Middleweight champion Julian Williams was stopped in the fifth round of his contest against Jeison Rosario. Odds makers tabbed Williams as a 15-1 favorite and many of his backers were already looking ahead.
A unification clash against WBC titlist Jermell Charlo made the most sense. But first, Williams needed to take out Rosario.
Williams stood in his corner as the punches rained down on him, forcing the referee to put a halt to the contest. Williams hometown crowd may have stood with their jaws touching the ground, but Derrick James, trainer of Charlo wasn’t as surprised.
“In boxing, like life, you never know what will happen,” James said to Boxingscene.com. “Some people get very focused. He was very focused, his skill set was great and I think he was up for that fight that day. He wasn’t gonna take a loss. He stepped up and he fought great. He fought phenomenally. It was a very competitive fight up until the third round or so. When J-Rock got cut, that’s when it started to turn a little bit, in the second round. That’s when Rosario picked it up and J-Rock kind of faded a little bit.”
Still, even with Rosario officially on the radar of both the boxing fans and his contemporaries, James is backing his man should they meet in the near future.
“I think Jermell will win the fight. He’s a great boxer. Rosario looked really good against J-Rock [Williams], but I feel like Jermell’s gonna get him. Rosario’s a great fighter, but Jermell’s speed and his athleticism will come into play. His ability will come into play.”
Rosario made a statement on the night against Williams, but Charlo made one of his own in his last ring appearance. He dusted himself off after suffering the first defeat of his career to win the rematch against Tony Harrison via 11th round stoppage. It was a back and forth fight between the two before Charlo ended it emphatically.
“I was pleased, especially down the stretch,” James said of Charlo’s performance. “It was a tough fight. He totally changed the fight. It was like they both pushed each other to the next level. Jermell put it together toward the end and he kept fighting in the middle rounds. Even though Tony had some good spots and some good rounds, Jermell kept fighting and started landing some shots. And then he landed that same hook he landed in the second round. It was great. I loved it.”
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WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman Eyes Erickson Lubin vs Tony Harrison Title Eliminator
By: Hans Themistode
Jr Middleweight contender Erickson Lubin has been spending half of his quarantine time preparing himself the best way he can for whenever boxing restrictions have lifted. The other half has been spent calling out WBC titlist Jermell Charlo.
Lubin made a ton of noise from the moment he stepped onto the scene in 2013. He managed to parlay that noise and skill, into a matchup with Charlo but quickly found himself on the wrong end of a right hand that ended the night quickly. Still, even with the sour taste in his mouth, that hasn’t stopped his enthusiasm for a part two.
“He see what’s going on,” Lubin said during an Instagram live interview. “I know he sees what’s going on. He see that I’m with [trainer] Kevin Cunningham. He see what I’m doing to these fighters that, you know, most of the division is having trouble with. And, you know, he’s just trying to buy time. I feel like he’s trying to buy time. Or he’s trying to find a different route, or end up moving up or something. You know, I’m not ducking no smoke. Jermell Charlo’s a great fighter. I’m not taking anything away from him.”
At the moment, Lubin finds himself in the number one spot for the WBC and a second date with Charlo. But just because he is in the number one spot, it doesn’t quite mean that he will be challenging for a title in his next contest.
“He’s not the mandatory contender,” said WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman. “The WBC was going to order Lubin to have to fight [Tony] Harrison as a final elimination bout prior to everything that has happened. Charlo has no mandatory [due] because no one has won a final elimination bout. At this moment, Charlo is free to take any voluntary defense.”
Other than a matchup with Charlo, a possible contest with Harrison has to be music to the ears of Lubin. It wasn’t that long where he not only called out Harrison, but also gave him a deadline to respond.
“I want Tony Harrison,” said Lubin. “We gotta talk. Tony Harrison, you got 24 hours. Let’s talk.”
Lubin paced back and forth as his deadline came and went. It isn’t the first time that Lubin was forced to wait for his shot at the big leagues.
On the surface, three years may not seem like a long time. But for Lubin, it’s felt like a lifetime.
Since he picked himself up off the canvas three years ago, he has repeatedly placed his opponents there. Winning four straight contests with three coming via stoppage.
Going up against Charlo at the age of 21 may have seemed like a good idea. But now, at the age of 24, he realizes that it wasn’t the best decision he’s ever made.
“You know, I went in there pretty young,” Lubin said. “I do admit that, you know, it was probably a bit early. But, you know, just the way my skill set is and my mindset, I feel like I was ready for that fight. And I feel like, you know, I wanted to get in there so quick and become a star so soon. But, you know, God had different plans for me. You know, we bounced back. We still bounced back and right now I’m sitting at number one in the WBC, so a rematch is in the near future.”
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Jermell Charlo Heaps Praise on Erickson Lubin: “He Will Win a World Title”
By: Hans Themistode
WBC Jr Middleweight champion Jermell Charlo left Erickson Lubin in a state of unconsciousness when the two met in late 2017. Lubin, 24, was the upstart. He went 143-7 during his amateur career and came flying out of the gate to the tune of an 18-0 record as a pro.
His night against Charlo didn’t go as planned but since then, he’s picked up four straight victories. Including three via stoppage. As for Charlo, he suffered a bit of a hiccup of his own when he suffered a decision loss, albeit highly controversial, to Tony Harrison. From there, Charlo bounced back, stopping Harrison in the 11th of their rematch.
With his WBC belt wrapped around his waist again, Charlo is looking ahead to bigger and better opponents. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t checking his rear view mirror. When he does take the second to glance at Lubin, he’s left very impressed.
“Lubin will win a world title,” Charlo told co-hosts Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal. “Lubin will knock out a lot of motherf–kers if he put his mind to it. Just leave me the f–k alone. I’m different. But I see him.”
The Charlo vs Lubin feud could be far from over as Lubin has fought his way back to the number one ranking within the WBC. And while Lubin foams at the mouth at the mere thought of a Charlo rematch. The Jr Middleweight champion seems to have bigger fish to fry.
“I haven’t thought about no rematch with Lubin because I have moved on,” Charlo said. “It’s a lot of fighters in the way. Why would I even think in my mind to go backwards? I don’t wanna fight Harrison again, I don’t wanna fight Lubin again, I don’t wanna fight none of them motherf–kers I went through. I wanna see if I can prove that I’m really the top dog, I wanna know myself.”
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Erickson Lubin is Ready to Turn The Page: “I am The Best at 154 pounds”
By: Hans Themistode
Jr Middleweight contender Erickson Lubin is finally ready to put the past behind him, but he’s also ready to face it as well.
Lubin (22-1, 16 KOs) found himself on the fast track to stardom back in 2013. He was fresh off a spectacular amateur career where he went 143-7. From there, he needed just three years to add the ESPN Prospect of the year award in 2016.
In short, everything was going according to plan. Until everything went sideways as Jermell Charlo left him unconscious in the first round. When Lubin woke up, he noticed everything was gone. His undefeated record, his dream, at least temporarily, of becoming a world champion and the hype surrounding him. But while everything was falling down around him inside of the ring, it helped him get things in order outside of it.
“It didn’t just play a role inside boxing,” said Lubin to Premier Boxing Champions on Instagram Live. “It played a role outside too. It was like a character defining loss. When I lost, I was trying to see who was still with me and who was my friends so I was still trying to figure out things.”
Lubin, 24, walked into the ring at 22 years of age and lacked any real experience at the world class level. Charlo on the other hand, marched to the ring five years older and had the edge in terms of competition faced. At the time, many wondered out loud if Lubin was biting off more than he could chew. He scoffed at that notion and vowed to prove everyone wrong. Now, three years later, Lubin believes the confidence that has led him to receiving non stop praise, worked against him.
“I went in there pretty young. I admit that it was probably a bit early, but the way my skill set is and my mind is, I felt like I was ready for that fight. In actuality I wanted to be a star so soon but God had different plans for me. We still bounced back and now I’m number one in the WBC so a rematch is in the near future.”
Bouncing back is putting it mildly. Lubin took the indelible mark that Charlo left on him and turned it into a deleterious rage. Beating his last four opponents and with the exception of his most recent contest, his previous three didn’t see the final bell.
Now, Lubin finds himself in a familiar position. Number one in the WBC and mandatory challenger to Charlo again. A rematch shouldn’t be an issue for the champion. He already has a mental edge because of how easy he made it look against Lubin the first time. But that was 2017. In 2020, it’s a whole different story.
“He sees what’s going on. He sees that I’m with Kevin Cunningham and what I’m doing to these fighters that most of these fighters are having trouble with. I feel like he’s just trying to buy time. Or he’s trying to find a different route or end up moving up. I’m not ducking any smoke. Jermell Charlo is a great fighter, I’m not taking anything away from him, but I feel like I am the best at 154 pounds. My main goal is to be world champion and not just world champion but to be unified and undisputed.”
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Terence Crawford Threatens to Show Jermell Charlo “Who The Real King of The Jungle is”
By: Hans Themistode
WBO Welterweight champion Terence Crawford has been linked to a few names over his career.
Errol Spence Jr, Manny Pacquiao, Danny Garcia and most recently, Keith Thurman. The links to those names make sense though, as they are all in the same weight division and outside of Thurman, have a bit of history with Crawford.
Manny Pacquiao spent several years being promoted by Bob Arum, the same man that currently promotes Crawford. And although talks of a fight between them was always rumored, they never actually materialized. Danny Garcia and Crawford split two meetings with each other in the amateurs. Errol Spence Jr, above all, has been linked to Crawford due to them being widely considered as the two best in the Welterweight division.
Thurman is a bit of a new name, but nonetheless a fight between them is possible.
Yet, with a seemingly endless amount of names to choose from, Crawford has turned his attention upward toward a new division.
WBC Jr Middleweight titlist Jermell Charlo has always been close friends with Spence and considers him the best at the Welterweight division. He’s always been of the mindset that if Crawford and Spence ever do meet in the ring, that Spence would leave with the victory.
Charlo may have meant no disrespect as he was expressing his opinion, but Crawford doesn’t want to hear any of it.
“Don’t make me show you who the real king of the jungle is because it aint no lion. But like I said, keep my name out yo mouth. When you see me it’s what’s up this and what’s up that. Stop faking for attention.”
Crawford at 154 might not actually be as far fetched as fans may believe.
The current WBO Jr Middleweight champ Patrick Teixeira is someone that Crawford has had an eye on recently. So a move up in weight to take on Charlo isn’t exactly out of the question. With that being said, it would be an erroneous move on Crawford’s part.
“You know what it is, imma let you make it,” said Charlo. “I think you a cool fight but don’t bite off more than you can chew.. LIONSONLY DIFFERENT.”
The Twitter war of words is always fun for the fans. But Crawford has never been interested in the back and forth, unless it’s in the ring. So instead of continuing, Crawford simply closed the conversation with Charlo with one last warning.
“Pray for those who play with me.”
