Many critics, arm-chair boxers and individuals who have a very American favoring perspective on boxing, were quick to criticize the current pound for pound king, Canelo Alvarez, for choosing the 6 foot 1 inch tall Jermall Charlo (32-0-0) as a potential opponent for a September bout. The curve ball that no one expected was Jermell Charlo, the current undisputed super welterweight boxer, to move up 2 weight classes and compete against Canelo instead.
Weird Narratives, But Better Reality!
In our opinion, the undisputed Jermell is the more competitive of the two brothers. His records paints a commitment to high end competition. Every loss or draw has been avenged, which in our view, actually makes him worthy of a higher ranking than current pound for pound lists have him.
Initially, the narrative against Canelo was that Jermall Charlo’s inactivity and personal issues were surfacing, and as such, Canelo cherry-picked a disengaged version of Jermall. This so despite Jermall Charlo being the current WBC Middleweight Champion. The points are moot today.
On the other hand, Jermell Charlo who was set to face Tim Tszyu from Australia, and is the twin brother of Jermall, competes in a weight class one category below Jermall. This Charlo is also fairly large for the division in stature and frame. Truthfully, I don’t think Canelo cares. At his level of confidence, he likely does not distinguish between them stylistically. Both have a comparable jab and power, with Jermell competing more and likely benefiting plenty from not having to dehydrate for a bout at a lower weight class.
Recently, examples like Bam Rodriguez moving up to face Sor Rungvisai from 108 to 115, show how boxers who move up in weight classes can benefit plenty from having to shrink down so much in weight. If Charlo beats Canelo, he would be one of many elite boxers who through conditioning and nutrition gained a competitive edge against boxers competing in their usual weight classes.