Will the Real Charlo Please Stand Up!
By Eddie Sanchez
In June 2023, it was announced the Canelo Alvarez had signed to rejoin PBC for an extended stay with three guaranteed fights. Almost immediately, speculation circulated that his first opponent was going to be Jermall Charlo, the WBC Middleweight Champion of the world. With this assumption, I let my initial thoughts known of what I believe for the fight, and shared a genuine curiosity for who that third opponent will end up being (assuming of course that Benavidez is on of those two future opponents).
Fast forward a few weeks and Canelo shocked the world with his choice of opponent. Charlo is right, BUT it’s the other Charlo.
Canelo Alvarez will be facing Jermell Charlo, the undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion of the world. Jermell will move up two weight classes for this contest and word is out that there will be no catchweight for this fight.
Man, does this change everything. First, Jermell is a fine boxer. In fact, most would agree that he is the better of the Charlos, despite fighting at a slightly lesser weight. Jermell has exceeded expectations by becoming undisputed in his weight class, while Jermall has often taken extended leaves of absences, only to fight opponents who don’t match the level of opposition that most believe he should face.
With Jermell booked as Canelo’s next opponent, Canelo’s contract makes a ton more sense. Assuming all is well with the world, we should expect Canelo’s contract to include both Charlo brothers and hopefully David Benavidez. THIS would be a fantastic death row of fighters for the Future Hall of Famer to face, and it looks very possible.
INITIAL THOUGHTS ON CANELO ALVAREZ-VS-JERMELL CHARLO
My thoughts for Canelo-vs-Jermell are quite similar to my initial thoughts of Canelo-vs-Jermall. I believe Canelo exits that fight with yet another title defense. We have seen Jermell get outboxed (against Tony Harrison) and we have seen Jermell get bullied to some degree (against Brian Castano), BUT we have also seen Jermell come back strong to avenge both outcomes. With skills, speed and power that make him a formidable opponent, I believe the weight jump will be too much for him to handle in this fight, and I predict a 10th round TKO for Canelo Alvarez.
If Canelo is victorious, Jermall will be right there ringside to begin promoting a May 2024 date. His brashness will welcome a social media frenzy, and a huge PPV opportunity will lie ahead. To get to that point though, Canelo will have to take care of business. With this fight officially booked, we are due for a great PPV showing.
