Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LOSqerh90

Naoya Inoue did it again.

I don’t want to make too much out of his third-round knockout of Michael Dasmarinas on Saturday in Las Vegas because the Filipino is levels below the Japanese star. I have to gush, though.

The skills. The explosiveness. And, oh, the power. He brings it every time he steps into the ring.

Inoue didn’t need much time to corner his spry prey at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, putting Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20 KOs) down for the first of three times with a wicked left hook to the body in Round 2. Two knockdowns later, fight over.

Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is human. Nonito Donaire proved that by pushing him to his limits in 2019. However, we should keep something in mind: He suffered a broken orbital bone in that bout and still defeated a future Hall of Famer.

Indeed, as if Inoue hasn’t collected enough accolades, he also proved in the Donaire fight that he’s unusually tough.

Inoue is ranked No. 3 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list, behind only No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Canelo Alvarez. Every time I watch him fight, I wonder whether he should be higher on the list.

You have to ask yourself: If weight weren’t an issue – which is the basis of pound-for-pound — would you really pick Crawford or Alvarez to beat Inoue? Get back to me on that.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmbWxWNUobw&t=10s

Let me get this out of the way: There was nothing “bad” about 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo’s performance against Juan Macias Montiel on Saturday in Houston.

Charlo defeated a capable, fit opponent by a near-shutout decision, which is a success by any standard. He can now look forward to pursuing bigger fights in the middleweight division, where he said he plans to campaign for now.

That said, it’s reasonable to ask – based on what we saw Saturday – whether he might be vulnerable against the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade or even young Jaime Munguia.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) demonstrated once again that the skill set is there; he outclassed Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) in that department. He has poise, a product of his experience. And he took everything a big puncher threw at him, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

The question I have about Charlo after Saturday centers on his punching power at middleweight. He seemed to wobble Montiel twice in the middle rounds but couldn’t do it again, which allowed the Mexican to have his best rounds in the last third of the fight.

That was surprising and possibly a reason for concern. I keep wondering: If he doesn’t have the power to deter his top rivals, will that catch up to him at some point?

He was able to outbox Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which proved he could beat a top-tier 160-pounder convincingly. Maybe his elite skillset combined with average power is enough to make him the undisputed middleweight champion.

Or maybe a better boxer than Montiel and one with more power than Derevyanchenko will take Charlo down, although that fighter might not exist at 160 pounds. That could mean his biggest tests will come at 168 one day.

Stay tuned.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itUsQ3Vbt2Y

The Isaac Cruz-Francisco Vargas fight on the Charlo-Montiel card turned into a mess almost from the start.

Vargas, who was in back-to-back Fights of the Year in the mid-2010s, turned what could’ve been an entertaining brawl into a disappointment by deciding not to engage the younger Cruz much of the fight and lost a one-sided decision.

Excessive holding and wrestling repeatedly halted the action. And, most important, clashes of the fighters’ heads – whether intentional or accidental – resulted in a disturbing ending.

The last of many head collisions, with about 30 seconds remaining in the fight, caused a ghastly cut above Vargas’ right eye. The action was stopped so the ring doctor could have a look. And, at the urging of referee James Green, he made the wrong decision to allow the fight to go on.

I get the thought process: With only seconds remaining, why not give Vargas a chance to win on the scorecards?

The reason is that one punch can turn a horrible cut like Vargas’ into something more serious. I’m not a doctor. And I wasn’t standing in front of Vargas. It just seemed to me that the doctor – whose identity I don’t know – put competition ahead of Vargas’ welfare, which was a mistake.

The fight ended with a wild flurry from Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) that resulted in the bloodied, almost helpless Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) hitting the canvas, an appropriate ending to an unfortunate fight.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3lrJvXef0&t=39s

Jaime Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) looked sharp and strong against a decent opponent in Kamil Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican methodically dismantled his Polish counterpart until the fight was stopped after the sixth round. Munguia is developing into a threat to anyone at 160 pounds. The question now is whether he’ll be able to lure his rivals into the ring. … One option for Munguia if he can’t get an immediate shot at a title is 35-year-old veteran Gabriel Rosado, who turned in a Knockout of the Year candidate on the Munguia-Szeremeta card. Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) seemed to be on his way to losing against hot super middleweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 KOs) when the Uzbek walked into a perfect right hand and ended up flat on his face in the third round. You have to be happy for Rosado. The gritty Philadelphian has almost always fallen short in his biggest moments. Not this time. And the victory assures him at least one more important fight. … Texas judge Eva Zaragoza needs a talking to. Angelo Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Aaron Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) engaged in a close 10-round, 122-pound fight, one that I and one judge scored 95-95. Another judge scored it 96-94 for Leo. Zaragoza? She scored it 98-92 for Leo, eight rounds to two. That tally was an insult to Alameda. Leo might’ve done enough to win but he didn’t take eight rounds. I hope officials in Texas officials came to the same conclusion. … Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (52-5-1, 34 KOs) has a habit of getting things wrong, including positive drug tests, missing weight and more. And he added to the list on Saturday in Guadalajara, Mexico: He was beaten by a 46-year-old former MMA star with two pro boxing matches in his distant past. Anderson Silva (2-1, 1 KO) defeated Chavez, 35, by a split decision. Embarrassing.

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage

Good, bad, worse: Naoya Inoue dazzles, Jermall Charlo has power outage.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LOSqerh90

Naoya Inoue did it again.

I don’t want to make too much out of his third-round knockout of Michael Dasmarinas on Saturday in Las Vegas because the Filipino is levels below the Japanese star. I have to gush, though.

The skills. The explosiveness. And, oh, the power. He brings it every time he steps into the ring.

Inoue didn’t need much time to corner his spry prey at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, putting Dasmarinas (30-3-1, 20 KOs) down for the first of three times with a wicked left hook to the body in Round 2. Two knockdowns later, fight over.

Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is human. Nonito Donaire proved that by pushing him to his limits in 2019. However, we should keep something in mind: He suffered a broken orbital bone in that bout and still defeated a future Hall of Famer.

Indeed, as if Inoue hasn’t collected enough accolades, he also proved in the Donaire fight that he’s unusually tough.

Inoue is ranked No. 3 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list, behind only No. 1 Terence Crawford and No. 2 Canelo Alvarez. Every time I watch him fight, I wonder whether he should be higher on the list.

You have to ask yourself: If weight weren’t an issue – which is the basis of pound-for-pound — would you really pick Crawford or Alvarez to beat Inoue? Get back to me on that.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmbWxWNUobw&t=10s

Let me get this out of the way: There was nothing “bad” about 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo’s performance against Juan Macias Montiel on Saturday in Houston.

Charlo defeated a capable, fit opponent by a near-shutout decision, which is a success by any standard. He can now look forward to pursuing bigger fights in the middleweight division, where he said he plans to campaign for now.

That said, it’s reasonable to ask – based on what we saw Saturday – whether he might be vulnerable against the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade or even young Jaime Munguia.

Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) demonstrated once again that the skill set is there; he outclassed Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) in that department. He has poise, a product of his experience. And he took everything a big puncher threw at him, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

The question I have about Charlo after Saturday centers on his punching power at middleweight. He seemed to wobble Montiel twice in the middle rounds but couldn’t do it again, which allowed the Mexican to have his best rounds in the last third of the fight.

That was surprising and possibly a reason for concern. I keep wondering: If he doesn’t have the power to deter his top rivals, will that catch up to him at some point?

He was able to outbox Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which proved he could beat a top-tier 160-pounder convincingly. Maybe his elite skillset combined with average power is enough to make him the undisputed middleweight champion.

Or maybe a better boxer than Montiel and one with more power than Derevyanchenko will take Charlo down, although that fighter might not exist at 160 pounds. That could mean his biggest tests will come at 168 one day.

Stay tuned.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itUsQ3Vbt2Y

The Isaac Cruz-Francisco Vargas fight on the Charlo-Montiel card turned into a mess almost from the start.

Vargas, who was in back-to-back Fights of the Year in the mid-2010s, turned what could’ve been an entertaining brawl into a disappointment by deciding not to engage the younger Cruz much of the fight and lost a one-sided decision.

Excessive holding and wrestling repeatedly halted the action. And, most important, clashes of the fighters’ heads – whether intentional or accidental – resulted in a disturbing ending.

The last of many head collisions, with about 30 seconds remaining in the fight, caused a ghastly cut above Vargas’ right eye. The action was stopped so the ring doctor could have a look. And, at the urging of referee James Green, he made the wrong decision to allow the fight to go on.

I get the thought process: With only seconds remaining, why not give Vargas a chance to win on the scorecards?

The reason is that one punch can turn a horrible cut like Vargas’ into something more serious. I’m not a doctor. And I wasn’t standing in front of Vargas. It just seemed to me that the doctor – whose identity I don’t know – put competition ahead of Vargas’ welfare, which was a mistake.

The fight ended with a wild flurry from Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) that resulted in the bloodied, almost helpless Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) hitting the canvas, an appropriate ending to an unfortunate fight.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3lrJvXef0&t=39s

Jaime Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) looked sharp and strong against a decent opponent in Kamil Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican methodically dismantled his Polish counterpart until the fight was stopped after the sixth round. Munguia is developing into a threat to anyone at 160 pounds. The question now is whether he’ll be able to lure his rivals into the ring. … One option for Munguia if he can’t get an immediate shot at a title is 35-year-old veteran Gabriel Rosado, who turned in a Knockout of the Year candidate on the Munguia-Szeremeta card. Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) seemed to be on his way to losing against hot super middleweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 KOs) when the Uzbek walked into a perfect right hand and ended up flat on his face in the third round. You have to be happy for Rosado. The gritty Philadelphian has almost always fallen short in his biggest moments. Not this time. And the victory assures him at least one more important fight. … Texas judge Eva Zaragoza needs a talking to. Angelo Leo (21-1, 9 KOs) and Aaron Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) engaged in a close 10-round, 122-pound fight, one that I and one judge scored 95-95. Another judge scored it 96-94 for Leo. Zaragoza? She scored it 98-92 for Leo, eight rounds to two. That tally was an insult to Alameda. Leo might’ve done enough to win but he didn’t take eight rounds. I hope officials in Texas officials came to the same conclusion. … Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (52-5-1, 34 KOs) has a habit of getting things wrong, including positive drug tests, missing weight and more. And he added to the list on Saturday in Guadalajara, Mexico: He was beaten by a 46-year-old former MMA star with two pro boxing matches in his distant past. Anderson Silva (2-1, 1 KO) defeated Chavez, 35, by a split decision. Embarrassing.

Which card should you watch? Ranking the four shows on Saturday

What should you watch? Ranking the four cards on Saturday.

Fans know by now that this Saturday will be packed with big fights, although one fell off the calendar Tuesday.

Four notable cards are now scheduled for that day, all in different locations. And three of them will overlap, which means you’ll have to make choices unless you watch on multiple TVs or devices.

Jermall Charlo defends his middleweight title against Juan Montiel Macias, Naoya Inoue defends his bantamweight belts against Michael Dasmarinas and Jaime Munguia faces Kamil Szeremeta in a middleweight bout. Also, in an exhibition, Julio Cesar Chavez takes on Hector Camacho Jr.

Teofimo Lopez’s defense of his lightweight championship against George Kambosos Jr. — originally scheduled for Saturday — was postponed to Aug. 14 after Lopez tested positive for COVID-19.

To help you, here is a ranking of the cards in terms of the magnitude of the matchups and watchability.

A quick note: None of the sanctioned main events is even close to the ideal 50-50 matchup. In other words, quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Here’s the list:

No. 1 Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Macias Montiel
Site
: Houston
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: Showtime
Summary: Charlo, like Lopez and Inoue, is much-watch TV for boxing fans. The middleweight half of the remarkable Charlo Twins is one of the best in the business, as he demonstrated with a convincing victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his most-recent fight. Montiel is around a 20-1 underdog, which makes this a mismatch on paper. And, yes, Charlo almost certainly will win handily. However, Montiel isn’t a complete pushover. We like the fact all his victories have come by knockout. And he has some experience in high-level fights. Also, there’s a can’t-miss war on the undercard: Isaac Cruz vs. Francisco Vargas. This is worth watching.
Grade: C+

No. 2 Jaime Munguia vs. Kamil Szeremeta
Site: El Paso, Texas
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: DAZN
Summary: The Munguia-Szeremeta matchup isn’t the best but this fight and card has an advantage over the others: It takes place in the afternoon in the U.S., which means it will have no direct competition. And while this might sound like faint praise the main event could be worse, particularly in light of the fact Szeremeta is a last-minute opponent. The Pole was overwhelmed by Gennadiy Golovkin in his last outing but he’s not a bad fighter. Munguia, only 24, is a rising star with improving ability and world-class power. Szeremeta will probably test him for a while and then fade. Bektemir Melikuziev fights Gabriel Rosado on the undercard.
Grade: C

No. 3 Naoya Inoue vs. Michael Dasmarinas
Site
: Las Vegas
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
Summary: Inoue, the complete package, is the best boxer in action on Saturday – and always worth watching — but that doesn’t mean this fight is particularly compelling. It isn’t. This is how bizarre the matchup is: Dasmarinas is ranked No. 1 by the IBF but is around a 30-1 underdog, meaning he has almost no chance of winning. The Filipino hasn’t lost since 2014 but you haven’t heard of any of his victims, the only possible exception being Karim Guerfi in 2018. He’s done nothing to demonstrate that he compete with a thoroughbred like Inoue. This one won’t last long. The undercard – featuring Mikaela Mayer – is solid.
Grade: C-

No. 4 Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Hector Camacho Jr.
Site: Guadalajara, Mexico
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: Pay-per-view
Summary: Fans of the great Mexican champion who want one more trip down memory lane might be interested in this event, which also features a sanctioned cruiserweight matchup between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and former MMA star Anderson Silva. Silva, 46, took part in two boxing matches, one in 1998 and the other in 2005. Chavez Sr., 58, easily outpointed fellow Hall of Famer Hector Camacho Sr. in 1998. That’s a storyline the organizers are using to sell the fight. Camacho Jr., a capable fighter in his day, is 42.
Grade: D

[lawrence-related id=21081,14776,20982,20385,15201,15114,15163]

Which card should you watch? Ranking the four shows on Saturday

What should you watch? Ranking the four cards on Saturday.

Fans know by now that this Saturday will be packed with big fights, although one fell off the calendar Tuesday.

Four notable cards are now scheduled for that day, all in different locations. And three of them will overlap, which means you’ll have to make choices unless you watch on multiple TVs or devices.

Jermall Charlo defends his middleweight title against Juan Montiel Macias, Naoya Inoue defends his bantamweight belts against Michael Dasmarinas and Jaime Munguia faces Kamil Szeremeta in a middleweight bout. Also, in an exhibition, Julio Cesar Chavez takes on Hector Camacho Jr.

Teofimo Lopez’s defense of his lightweight championship against George Kambosos Jr. — originally scheduled for Saturday — was postponed to Aug. 14 after Lopez tested positive for COVID-19.

To help you, here is a ranking of the cards in terms of the magnitude of the matchups and watchability.

A quick note: None of the sanctioned main events is even close to the ideal 50-50 matchup. In other words, quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Here’s the list:

No. 1 Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Macias Montiel
Site
: Houston
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: Showtime
Summary: Charlo, like Lopez and Inoue, is much-watch TV for boxing fans. The middleweight half of the remarkable Charlo Twins is one of the best in the business, as he demonstrated with a convincing victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his most-recent fight. Montiel is around a 20-1 underdog, which makes this a mismatch on paper. And, yes, Charlo almost certainly will win handily. However, Montiel isn’t a complete pushover. We like the fact all his victories have come by knockout. And he has some experience in high-level fights. Also, there’s a can’t-miss war on the undercard: Isaac Cruz vs. Francisco Vargas. This is worth watching.
Grade: C+

No. 2 Jaime Munguia vs. Kamil Szeremeta
Site: El Paso, Texas
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: DAZN
Summary: The Munguia-Szeremeta matchup isn’t the best but this fight and card has an advantage over the others: It takes place in the afternoon in the U.S., which means it will have no direct competition. And while this might sound like faint praise the main event could be worse, particularly in light of the fact Szeremeta is a last-minute opponent. The Pole was overwhelmed by Gennadiy Golovkin in his last outing but he’s not a bad fighter. Munguia, only 24, is a rising star with improving ability and world-class power. Szeremeta will probably test him for a while and then fade. Bektemir Melikuziev fights Gabriel Rosado on the undercard.
Grade: C

No. 3 Naoya Inoue vs. Michael Dasmarinas
Site
: Las Vegas
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
Summary: Inoue, the complete package, is the best boxer in action on Saturday – and always worth watching — but that doesn’t mean this fight is particularly compelling. It isn’t. This is how bizarre the matchup is: Dasmarinas is ranked No. 1 by the IBF but is around a 30-1 underdog, meaning he has almost no chance of winning. The Filipino hasn’t lost since 2014 but you haven’t heard of any of his victims, the only possible exception being Karim Guerfi in 2018. He’s done nothing to demonstrate that he compete with a thoroughbred like Inoue. This one won’t last long. The undercard – featuring Mikaela Mayer – is solid.
Grade: C-

No. 4 Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Hector Camacho Jr.
Site: Guadalajara, Mexico
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
TV: Pay-per-view
Summary: Fans of the great Mexican champion who want one more trip down memory lane might be interested in this event, which also features a sanctioned cruiserweight matchup between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and former MMA star Anderson Silva. Silva, 46, took part in two boxing matches, one in 1998 and the other in 2005. Chavez Sr., 58, easily outpointed fellow Hall of Famer Hector Camacho Sr. in 1998. That’s a storyline the organizers are using to sell the fight. Camacho Jr., a capable fighter in his day, is 42.
Grade: D

[lawrence-related id=21081,14776,20982,20385,15201,15114,15163]

Jermall Charlo in no-win situation against Juan Montiel

Jermall Charlo will be in no-win situation against Juan Montiel on June 19.

Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Montiel is what you get when the optimal matchups can’t be made.

Charlo, the WBC 160-pound titleholder, said as much on a Zoom call to promote his defense against Montiel on June 19 in Charlo’s hometown of Houston. The card will be televised on Showtime.

The champion was asked on the call whether he would move up to 168 if he can’t get fights against the top middleweights, including fellow titleholders Gennadiy Golovkin and Demetrius Andrade.

He responded that his immediate plan is to stay at 160 and then made it clear how he feels about the upcoming matchup, in which he’s a 22-1 favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7bpAvp284

“I’ll continue fighting fights like these. Somebody’s got to try to get the WBC belt one day,” said Charlo, who insists he has tried but failed to make the big fights at 160 and 168. “… Of course, I would go up for a bigger fighter but the bigger fighter has to come to me.

“I can’t make them get into the ring with me.”

The implication of that statement is that Montiel is a nobody, which isn’t true. He’s simply not as good as Golovkin, Andrade or 168-pounders Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs, at least on paper.

Montiel (22-4-2, 22 KOs) has fallen short in two of his biggest fights – a second-round knockout at the hands of Jamie Munguia in 2017 and a draw with Hugo Centeno Jr. in 2019 – but he has world-class power, as his knockout record indicates.

The Mexican is coming off a first-round knockout of James Kirkland in December.

Still, Charlo is in a difficult position. If he wins, everyone will say, “so what.” And if he doesn’t win convincingly or loses, he’ll be criticized for underperforming.

Charlo is coming off a clear decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko this past September, which was a breakthrough victory for him given that he beat the Ukrainian more easily than Jacobs or Golovkin did.

He was asked whether he expects to get credit on June 19.

“No, because they put me back in the ring with a guy like Juan Montiel,” he said. “High risk, low reward. I won’t get credit if I knock Juan Montiel out. I just have to continue to be the best I can be.”

The “high risk” comment is an indication of Charlo’s respect for Montiel, who is ranked No. 4 by the WBC.

“He’s a pressure fighter,” Charlo said. “He fights from both stances, southpaw and orthodox. He’s strong in both hands. I’m going to have to fight fire with fire.”

“… Everybody wants to beat the world champion,” he added. “So it doesn’t matter who they put in front of you. Juan Montiel is in shape, he’s strong, he’s fast.

“I’m going to be just as fast, just as strong, just as sharp. The title is on the line. I have to defend it.”

And Charlo certainly isn’t afraid of Montiel’s power.

“Hey, bring on the power,” he said with Montiel also on the Zoom call. “I want the power. You better be as strong as you’re talking. I want to see you be strong, I want to feel the power.

“Bring it to me. I’ll show you what I’ll do with the power. Trust me.”

But will anyone care?

[lawrence-related id=20385]

Jermall Charlo in no-win situation against Juan Montiel

Jermall Charlo will be in no-win situation against Juan Montiel on June 19.

Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Montiel is what you get when the optimal matchups can’t be made.

Charlo, the WBC 160-pound titleholder, said as much on a Zoom call to promote his defense against Montiel on June 19 in Charlo’s hometown of Houston. The card will be televised on Showtime.

The champion was asked on the call whether he would move up to 168 if he can’t get fights against the top middleweights, including fellow titleholders Gennadiy Golovkin and Demetrius Andrade.

He responded that his immediate plan is to stay at 160 and then made it clear how he feels about the upcoming matchup, in which he’s a 22-1 favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7bpAvp284

“I’ll continue fighting fights like these. Somebody’s got to try to get the WBC belt one day,” said Charlo, who insists he has tried but failed to make the big fights at 160 and 168. “… Of course, I would go up for a bigger fighter but the bigger fighter has to come to me.

“I can’t make them get into the ring with me.”

The implication of that statement is that Montiel is a nobody, which isn’t true. He’s simply not as good as Golovkin, Andrade or 168-pounders Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs, at least on paper.

Montiel (22-4-2, 22 KOs) has fallen short in two of his biggest fights – a second-round knockout at the hands of Jamie Munguia in 2017 and a draw with Hugo Centeno Jr. in 2019 – but he has world-class power, as his knockout record indicates.

The Mexican is coming off a first-round knockout of James Kirkland in December.

Still, Charlo is in a difficult position. If he wins, everyone will say, “so what.” And if he doesn’t win convincingly or loses, he’ll be criticized for underperforming.

Charlo is coming off a clear decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko this past September, which was a breakthrough victory for him given that he beat the Ukrainian more easily than Jacobs or Golovkin did.

He was asked whether he expects to get credit on June 19.

“No, because they put me back in the ring with a guy like Juan Montiel,” he said. “High risk, low reward. I won’t get credit if I knock Juan Montiel out. I just have to continue to be the best I can be.”

The “high risk” comment is an indication of Charlo’s respect for Montiel, who is ranked No. 4 by the WBC.

“He’s a pressure fighter,” Charlo said. “He fights from both stances, southpaw and orthodox. He’s strong in both hands. I’m going to have to fight fire with fire.”

“… Everybody wants to beat the world champion,” he added. “So it doesn’t matter who they put in front of you. Juan Montiel is in shape, he’s strong, he’s fast.

“I’m going to be just as fast, just as strong, just as sharp. The title is on the line. I have to defend it.”

And Charlo certainly isn’t afraid of Montiel’s power.

“Hey, bring on the power,” he said with Montiel also on the Zoom call. “I want the power. You better be as strong as you’re talking. I want to see you be strong, I want to feel the power.

“Bring it to me. I’ll show you what I’ll do with the power. Trust me.”

But will anyone care?

[lawrence-related id=20385]