Tag: Jermall Charlo

Jermall Charlo: ‘After this fight, people are going to say I’m a great fighter’

Jermall Charlo sees his fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Sept. 26 as an opportunity to prove his greatness.

Jermall Charlo seems to have a chip on his shoulder. And for good reason. He doesn’t believe people believe in him.

Well, he’ll have a chance to remedy that soon. He is scheduled to face Sergiy Derevyanchenko in what many see as Charlo’s first serious test at middleweight on Sept. 26 in Uncasville, Conn.

The pay-per-view card will also feature a title fight between twin brother Jermell Charlo and Jason Rosario.

“Everybody is doubting me,” Jermall Charlo said on a Zoom call. “I’ve been doubted for years. It’s not anger. I don’t care what my opponent or his trainer says about me. I’m a fighter and I’m ready for this. I really want to just get in there and fight.

“After this fight, people are going to say that I’m a great fighter. I’m the best in the world.”

Jermall Charlo is (right) coming off a seventh-round KO of Dennis Hogan in December. AP Photo / Michael Owens

It probably won’t be easy.

Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) is a former 154-pound titleholder with victories over Austin Trout and Julian Williams, which lifted him to what might be described as semi-stardom.

And he’s had success at middleweight, beating Matvey Korobov, Brandon Adams and Dennis Hogan at 160 pounds and picking up a secondary title along the way. The problem is that only Korobov was capable enough to give Charlo significant resistance, which allows questions about Charlo to linger.

Derevyanchenko? The former Ukrainian amateur star lost to top-tier opponents Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin but fought both on even terms, losing razor thin decisions each time and garnering tremendous respect in the process.

That’s why some observers give Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) a good chance of handing Charlo his first loss. And that’s fine with Charlo. A victory over a respected middleweight is what he seeks.

“He lost both of those fights against Gennadiy Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs,” Charlo said. “Competitive or not, that’s what happened. He’s a warrior, though. And I want him to be sharp so he can give me the best he can give me. This is going to be a real fight, just know that.

“I’m going to be super sharp. That’s the message I want to deliver to all of the other middleweights out there.”

That said, Charlo isn’t making bold predictions. He hasn’t proclaimed that he’ll be the first to stop Derevyanchenko. And isn’t putting pressure on himself to defeat his opponent more convincingly than Jacobs and Golovkin did.

It’s all about fighting his fight, emerging victorious and looking good.

“I thought I might need to out-perform Jacobs and Golovkin, but as long as I continue to be myself, I will get the victory and I’ll have my hand raised,” Charlo said. “I’m smarter, stronger and better than I used to be.

“Every fight is a different fight. I let my trainer do the studying. I’m just focused on what I have to do.”

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Pay-per-view card featuring Charlo twins ‘crown jewel’ of Showtime slate

Jermell and Jermall Charlo will headline one of the deepest pay-per-view cards in recent memory on Sept. 26.

Glance at the Showtime schedule of fights for the remainder of 2020 and your eyes are likely to focus on a specific date: Sept. 26.

That’s when the Charlo twins headline an unusual, split-session pay-per-view show behind closed doors at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Here are the featured fights on the show, which will be divided into two four-fight cards – separated by a break – on the same day for same price.

No decision has been made as to the order in which the Charlos will fight.

Card A:

  • Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario in a junior middleweight title-unification bout.
  • Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Karl for Barrios’ junior welterweight title.
  • Daniel Roman vs. TBA in a junior featherweight bout.

Card B:

  • Jermall Charlo vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko for Charlo’s middleweight belt.
  • Brandon Figueroa vs. Damien Vazquez for Figueroa’s junior featherweight title.
  • Diego Magdaleno vs. Isaac Cruz in a lightweight bout.

That lineup brings back memories of the legendary Don King pay-per-view cards of a generation or two ago.

“You have to go back to the marathon Don King pay-per-views of the 1980s,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of sports and event programming for Showtime Networks Inc. “And even those events, 30, 40 years ago, you didn’t see the array of talent you’ll see on Sept. 26.

“Jermell and Jermall are in arguably the toughest fights of their careers. That’s the crown jewel of the schedule right now.”

Espinoza answered questions in a virtual news conference shortly after the schedule was officially announced Wednesday morning.

One question posed to him centered on the timing of the pay-per-view show. Many people in the country are struggling economically as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which could affect the buy rate.

Espinoza didn’t reveal the price of the pay-per-view other than to say it will be comparable to previous shows.

“A lot of people are being squeezed financially,” he said. “That was one of the motivating factors in structuring it the way we did. We tried to provide not just value … but more value than you’ve seen on any recent pay-per-view.

“The reality is that pay-per-view is a tool to help fights happen that wouldn’t otherwise happen. We understand the financial pressure here. We feel this is a great value … and we think the market will respond.”

The combination of two compelling Charlo fights on one card is a strong selling point, particularly when combined with two more world title fights.

Jermell Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) and Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs) are two of the hottest fighters in the world.

Charlo, who holds one 154-pound title, is coming off a sensational 11th-round knockout of slick Tony Harrison to avenge an earlier points loss and regain his title. Rosario shocked the boxing world by stopping the highly respected Julian Williams in five rounds to win two belts in his most-recent fight.

“All I expect is for me to get that win, dominatingly,” said Charlo, who believes he was robbed in his first fight with Harrison. “… I won’t leave it up to the judges. I learned that in the past. I have to win very dominatingly or win by knockout.”

Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) holds a 160-pound title but has been criticized for less-than-elite opposition. That shouldn’t be a problem against Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs).

The Ukrainian, who reportedly had around 400 amateur fights, pushed Daniel Jacobs to the limit in a split-decision loss in 2018 and gave Gennadiy Golovkin as much hell as Canelo Alvarez did in a close, unanimous-decision setback last October. Some believe he deserved the decision.

Jermall Charlo believes some fans will still find fault in a victory over Derevyanchenko but also thinks it will set up potential fights with Alvarez and Triple-G.

“[A victory] lets people know I’m ready for the big fights, ones against Canelo and Golovkin,” Jermall Charlo said. “[Derevyanchenko] has been in with tough competition but he’s lost both times. People will still doubt me. That’s part of boxing.

“[Still] this is a step up for me, I guess, in the eyes of some people. I’m ready to fight.”

Showtime, PBC unveil packed nine-card schedule

Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions have unveiled nine cards over five months featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.

The stars are coming out on Showtime.

The premium network and Premier Boxing Champions have unveiled nine cards – including two pay-per-view events – over five months featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. The shows will take place without spectators at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The schedule features 18 undefeated fighters, nine world champions and eight world championship fights including one world title unification bout. PBC, with its large stable of fighters, reportedly has 20 bouts on the schedule. That includes 14 bouts in which Top 10-ranked fighters will face one another.

Jermall and Jermell Charlo will face Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Jeison Rosario, respectively, on the same pay-per-view show, and Gervonta Davis will fight Leo Santa Cruz on a separate pay-per-view card.

Others in action will include David Benavidez, Nonito Donaire, Sergey Lipinets and Chris Colbert.

“We are proud to announce the strongest and most comprehensive schedule of fights in all of boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of sports and event programming for Showtime Networks Inc. “Each bout on this schedule, our largest schedule announcement since 2018, carries high stakes and significant implications.

“From highly regarded prospects to emerging stars to established champions — all in tough matchups — this lineup delivers on our promise to provide boxing fans with the best talent, the most exciting fights and the highest quality presentation in the sport. We are thrilled to return to live boxing with this star-studded schedule of exciting, meaningful fights.”

The first card, on Aug. 1, features Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Angelo Leo for a vacant junior featherweight title.

The card featuring the Charlo brothers will be broken into two events (for the same price) on the same day.

Here are the featured fights on the Showtime schedule:

Aug. 1: Stephen Fulton Jr. (18-0, 8 KOs) vs. Angelo Leo (19-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title.

Aug. 15: David Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) for Benavidez’s WBC super middleweight title.

Sept. 19: Erickson Lubin (22-1, 16 KOs) vs. Terrell Gausha (21-1-1, 10 KOs), junior middleweights.

Sept. 26 (PPV): Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) for Charlo’s WBC middleweight title; Jermell Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) vs. Jeison Rosaro (20-1-1, 14 KOs) in WBC, WBA, IBF junior middleweight unification; Brandon Figueroa vs. Damien Vasquez for Figueroa’s WBA junior featherweight title; Diego Magdaleno vs. Isaac Cruz, lightweights; Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Karl for Barrios’ WBA junior welterweight title.

Oct. 10: Sergey Lipinets (16-1, 12 KOs) vs. Kudratillo Abdukahorov (15-0, 8 KOs) for IBF interim welterweight title.

Oct. 24 (PPV): Gervonta Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) vs. Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) for Davis’ WBA lightweight title and Santa Cruz’s WBA junior lightweight title

Nov. 28: Chris Colbert (14-0, 5 KOs) vs. Jaime Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs), junior lightweights.

Dec. 12: Nordine Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) vs. Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) for Oubaali’s WBC bantamweight title.

 

Video: Mannix, Mora: What now for Canelo Alvarez?

Sergiy Derevyanchenko decided to face Jermall Charlo rather than Canelo Alvarez in his next fight, removing yet another prospective opponent for the Mexican star. Where does that leave Alvarez? Well, the most-appealing candidate at this point …

Sergiy Derevyanchenko decided to face Jermall Charlo rather than Canelo Alvarez in his next fight, removing yet another prospective opponent for the Mexican star.

Where does that leave Alvarez?

Well, the most-appealing candidate at this point probably is super middleweight titleholder Callum Smith, who would provide Alvarez the opportunity to win a title in a fourth division.

No realistic opponent beyond the British fighter — at least no one who has been mentioned — would excite fans hoping to see Alvarez face an actual challenge when he fights next in September.

DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora give their thoughts on Alvarez’s prospects in this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora.

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Jermall Charlo, Sergiy Derevyanchenko nearing deal on fall fight

Jermall Charlo and contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko are in the final stages of negotiations for a fight in either September or October.

Jermall Charlo needed significant challenge. And he reportedly has one.

Charlo, the middleweight titleholder, and contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko are in the final stages of negotiations for a fight in either September or October, according to The Athletic. No site or network was reported.

Charlo was elevated to the WBC’s full titleholder after Canelo Alvarez was designated “franchise” champion in June of last year but, in five fights since moving up from 154 ponds, he hadn’t faced a serious challenge.

Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) should be a genuine test. The durable, well-schooled Ukrainian lost close decisions in title fights against Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin to build a reputation as one of the best in and around the division.

He reportedly also had received an offer to fight Canelo Alvarez, presumably at 168 pounds. The Athletic is reporting that Derevyanchenko wasn’t offered enough to take that fight.

Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) has beaten Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matt Korobov, Brandon Adams and Denis Hogan at 160 pounds, which led some to criticize his choice of opponents at middleweight.

No one will be critical of Derevyanchenko.

Video: Ak & Barak: Who should Sergiy Derevyanchenko fight next?

Sergiy Derevyanchenko reportedly has received offers from both Canelo Alvarez and Jermall Charlo. The talented, rugged Ukrainian would fight Alvarez at 168 pounds in September and Charlo for the Houston star’s 160-pound title sometime in the fall. …

Sergiy Derevyanchenko reportedly has received offers from both Canelo Alvarez and Jermall Charlo.

The talented, rugged Ukrainian would fight Alvarez at 168 pounds in September and Charlo for the Houston star’s 160-pound title sometime in the fall.

Which fight would you take?

If Derevyanchenko fights and beats Alvarez, his career skyrockets. If he beats Charlo, he wins his first major title and gains considerable leverage going forward.

In this episode of The Ak & Barak Show, courtesy of DAZN, hosts Akin Reyes and Barak Bess discuss Derevyanchenko’s immediate future.

The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.

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Sergiy Derevyanchenko receives offers from Canelo Alvarez, Jermall Charlo

Sergiy Derevyanchenko has received offers to fight Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight and Jermall Charlo at middleweight.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko vs. Canelo Alvarez? Derevyanchenko vs. Jermall Charlo? Boxing fans would embrace either matchup. And one or the other appears to be a realistic possibility.

BoxingScene.com is reporting that Derevyanchenko has received offers to fight Alvarez at 168 pounds on Sept. 12, around Mexican Independence Day, and Charlo sometime in the fall for Charlo’s 160-pound title.

Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) is the No. 1 challenger to Charlo’s title and is coming off a close decision loss against Gennadiy Golovkin for a vacant 160-pound belt in October but has fought above that weight in nine of his 15 fights, meaning he would probably be comfortable at either weight.

The skillful, rugged Ukrainian would be an intriguing opponent for either Alvarez or Charlo.

Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) was scheduled to challenge for Billy Joe Saunders’ super middleweight title on May 2 in Las Vegas but those plans were scrapped after the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Saunders reportedly is now balking at the money available to fight Alvarez.

Derevyanchenko doesn’t present the opportunity to win a title in a fourth division but, after his strong performances against Daniel Jacobs (SD loss) and Golovkin (UD), he’s perceived as a legitimate threat to anyone at or near 160 pounds.

Alvarez also reportedly has considered former two-time 168-pound titleholder Anthony Dirrell, who is coming off a knockout loss (in part because of a cut) against David Benavidez in September.

Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) hasn’t faced a top-tier opponent since he stopped Julian Williams at 154-pounds in December 2016. As a middleweight, he has fought Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov, Brandon Adams and Dennis Hogan.

Charlo needs an opponent of Derevyanchenko’s stature to build some momentum.

Chris Eubank Jr. had been thought to be a leading candidate to challenge Charlo but, in light of the BoxingScene.com report, it appears that Derevyanchenko is the fight the product of Houston wants most.

One man’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list of American boxers

Terence Crawford heads one man’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list of American boxers.

The United States, the third most populous country with roughly 330 million people, produces more elite boxers than any other nation.

I recently set out to put together my list of the 10 best among them and quickly realized that it was no easy task, as I found that one could make a reasonable case for more than 20 fighters who were either born in the U.S. or spent most of their lives here.

Ultimately, I whittled my list down to 10. Here it is.

No. 1 Terence Crawford
Record: 36-0 (27 KOs)
Titles: Lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight
Key victories: Yuriorkis Gamboa, Ray Beltran, Thomas Dulorme, Hank Lundy, Viktor Postol, John Molina Jr., Julius Indongo, Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez, Amir Khan, Egidijus Kavaliauskas
Background: Crawford doesn’t have the best resume among elite fighters – he still needs defining victories – but we see what we see, a consistently dominating fighter with a complete skill set and the flair of a star.

No. 2 Errol Spence Jr.
Record: 26-0 (21 KOs)
Titles: Welterweight
Key victories: Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter
Background: Spence is building a strong resume, particularly with the victories over Garcia and Porter. He has all the tools, although he’s not quite as dynamic as Crawford. I’m assuming he’s 100 percent after his car accident in October.

Mikey Garcia (right) defeated Jessie Vargas by a unanimous decision in February. Amanda Westcott / DAZN

No 3. Mikey Garcia
Record: 40-1 (30 KOs)
Titles: Featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight
Key victories: Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Dejan Zlaticanin, Sergey Lipinets, Robert Easter, Jessie Vargas
Background: Don’t let the Spence setback cloud your judgment of Garcia. He took a big swing and missed but he has otherwise been a dominating fighter over four divisions, with a special skill set and plenty of punching power.

No. 4. Leo Santa Cruz
Record: 37-1-1 (19 KOs)
Titles: Bantamweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight
Key victories: Eric Morel, Cristian Mijares, Abner Mares (twice), Kiko Martinez, Carl Frampton, Miguel Flores
Background: Santa Cruz is the ultimate blue-collar boxer. The Mexican-American isn’t particularly quick or flashy but he’ll out-train you, outwork you and almost always beat you. He avenged his only defeat when he outpointed Frampton.

No. 5 Shawn Porter
Record: 30-3-1 (17 KOs)
Titles: Welterweight
Key victories: Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas
Background: Porter is only 6-3 in his last night fights but could be 9-0, as all three of his losses — to Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. – could’ve gone his way. He is a quick, athletic, swarming nightmare for any foe. Ask Spence.

No. 6 Gary Russell Jr.
Record: 30-1 (18 KOs)
Titles: Featherweight
Key victories: Jhonny Gonzalez, Oscar Escandon, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kiko Martinez, Tugstsot Nyambayar.
Background: Russell isn’t active enough and he still lacks a truly defining victory but the man with the blurry-quick hands and polished skills has dominated those in front of him. A big victory or two could lift him higher here.

Jermall Charlo needs a big middleweight fight to rebuild his momentum. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime

No. 7 Jermall Charlo
Record: 30-0 (22 KOs)
Titles: Junior middleweight, middleweight
Key victories: Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, Julian Williams, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov
Background: Charlo is in need of a big middleweight fight (Canelo Alvarez?) to rebuild lost momentum but he has all the tools. He’s skillful, powerful, tough, fun to watch, all the ingredients that comprise a star.

No. 8 Jermell Charlo
Record: 33-1 (17 KOs)
Titles: Junior middleweight
Key victories: Gabriel Rosado, Vanes Martirosyan, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout, Tony Harrison
Background: Some have questioned his skill set because he was losing to John Jackson before stopping him and lost a decision to Harrison but recent results – wins over Lubin, Trout and Harrison (by KO) in the rematch — speak loudly. Charlo is locked in.

No. 9 Teofimo Lopez
Record: 15-0 (12 KOs)
Titles: Lightweight
Key victories: Diego Magdaleno, Masayoshi Nakatani, Richard Commey
Background: Lopez already has a big victory at 22 – over Commey to win his title – but his inclusion here is based mostly on what I see, a gifted boxer who can also remove your head from your body. He’ll skyrocket if he beats Vasiliy Lomachenko.

No. 10 Jose Ramirez
Record: 25-0 (17 KOs)
Titles: Lightweight
Key victories: Amir Imam, Antonio Orozco, Jose Zepeda, Maurice Hooker
Background: Ramirez is still building his resume  but the victories listed above – which came in succession – give you a good idea of what he’s capable of. The former Olympian is skillful and ferocious, which doesn’t bode well for future foes.

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Boxign Junkie Top 10 pound-for-pound

Bernard Hopkins wants to see Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermall Charlo

Bernard Hopkins prefers a Canelo Alvarez-Jermall Charlo title-unification bout to a third Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin fight.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin III isn’t the middleweight title unification clash that Bernard Hopkins wants to see the most.

During a recent Instagram Live chat, the boxing legend loved a fan’s suggestion about Alvarez — a title-unification bout with Jermall Charlo, instead.

“That’s what I want to see,” said Hopkins, a partner at Golden Boy Promotions, which handles Alvarez. “Whoever is not on their game, they will experience an ‘L’ or a knockdown, knockout drag-out type of ending.”

Not only that, but Hopkins believes that the fight can present itself sooner than fans might think.

“That fight there is a buildup less than a year and a half [away] or sooner,” he said. “That’s the fight that I believe is going to materialize as a fight that everybody is going to be asking for. That fight there is … both of those guys have weapons in their arsenal that is danger, deadly for anybody in that weight division.”

Indeed, Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) and Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) have a combined record of 83-1-2, 58 KOs. So, one could see its potential on paper alone.

Hopkins downplayed Alvarez-GGG III during the same chat, as he believes that Alvarez has learned enough from their first two battles to end a third fight “early.”

“You really want to see that?” he shot back to a fan clamoring about it. “Listen, I don’t think anything is going to happen any different [from their second fight].

“Eh, yes it is,” he added in a quick change of heart. “I think that Canelo has the blueprint — definitely [from] the second fight — to end it early. OK, you beat him twice, now you knocked him out the third time.”

After the two rivals fought to a controversial split draw in September 2017, Alvarez scored a majority-decision win in their rematch the following September.

PBC fighters to share experiences during pandemic and more

Premier Boxing Champions has announced that its boxers will share their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic and more in the coming days. The PBC social media and digital team will provide five opportunities per week for fans to see, hear and …

Premier Boxing Champions has announced that its boxers will share their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic and more in the coming days.

The PBC social media and digital team will provide five opportunities per week for fans to see, hear and even engage with the fighters about social distancing, boxing, their plans once the crisis subsides and other topics.

On “Time Out with Ray Flores,” which appears Mondays, the ring announcer hosts a 30-45-minute live-stream interview with a different fighter each week on the PBC Instagram page. Errol Spence Jr. appeared with Flores today (April 6).

On The PBC Podcast, hosts Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal ask PBC boxers about their lives during these difficult times and their thoughts on what might be coming up for them. Former two-division titleholder Danny Garcia and former three-division champion Abner Mares will be interviewed this week.

The Podcast is available each Wednesday on the PBC website, iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spreaker and other outlets.

In the “At Home With …” series, each Wednesday and Friday, one fighter will take over the PBC Facebook page to host live “hangouts” from their homes. Fighters will share something topical and answer questions in a casual format. Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo will appear on Wednesday (April 8) at 4 p.m. ET. Jermell Charlo, a junior middleweight champion, will be featured on Friday (April 10) at the same time.

Each Thursday on the PBC YouTube page, in “Going the Distance”, select PBC fighters will provide commentary on one of their fights. Super middleweight titleholder Caleb Plant will break down his title fight against Jose Uzcategui on Thursday (April 9) at 4 p.m. ET.

And, finally, every Saturday night on “PBC Replay”, entire classic cards from the PBC library will be aired on the PBC YouTube page. The epic battle between Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter will replay this Saturday (April 11) at 8 p.m. ET.