Jermell Charlo dares to be great in challenging Canelo
Undisputed super middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez will defend his titles against undisputed junior middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be broadcast by Showtime PPV.
The 33-year-old Charlo, who is 35-1-1, not only hasn’t fought since May of last year, but is also moving up from a maximum of 154 lbs at junior middleweight to a maximum weight of 168 lbs at super middleweight. Charlo most certainly is daring to be great.
The fight is also historic. It is the first time that two reigning, undisputed male champions will face each other. If Charlo can pull off the upset, he would become just the second man to earn the undisputed title in two divisions during the four-belt era, following Terence Crawford, who became the first with a victory over Errol Spence in their welterweight bout in July. Charlo would join boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Roy Jones Jr., who each successfully jumped two weight classes to win a championship.
Both Alvarez and Charlo spoke to the media earlier this week before the clash.
“I feel the love and support from my people and I’m proud to represent my country,” said the
59-2-2, 33-year-old Alvarez of his Mexican heritage. “I am 100% right now and ready to show you a different Canelo on Saturday. Charlo is a great fighter who knows how to box. He is strong and has nothing to lose. He came to my division to win it all. But I’ve been in this position for a long time and I’m ready.”
Charlo exuded confidence in knowing what’s ahead against an opponent considered an all-time great by numerous boxing pundits.
“These fans think Canelo is the best in the world, but I’m going to come here and show that I’m the best,” said Charlo. “I do this for the dogs, the hungry ones. I do it for the animals. I’m made for this. After I beat Canelo, the world will be screaming ‘Charlo, Charlo!’ You dig? Now it’s my turn, my time, my moment. I’m going to shine on Saturday night. We can’t talk about it; we have to be about it. Come fight night, you’ll all see what that means.”
Alvarez is favored in the fight and he should be. But Canelo hasn’t knocked out an opponent since November 2021 and suffered the second loss of his career in May of last year versus Dmitrii Bivol. Canelo has absorbed a lot of punishment in his 63 fights and even acknowledged looking subpar in his last three matches.
Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to return to action when he battles Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight title on November 16 in Las Vegas.
Devin Haney will dare to be great when he moves up to junior welterweight to battle WBC welterweight champion Regis Prograis. Haney is currently the undisputed lightweight champion.
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will take on MMA fighter Francis Ngannou on October 28 from Saudi Arabia.
Finally, 22-year-old Irishman Callum Walsh will make his Madison Square Garden debut and defend his WBC US silver super welterweight title against Ismael Villarreal on November 9.
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