Jermell Charlo locked in as his big moment approaches
Jermell Charlo is a two-time junior middleweight titleholder with victories over Vanes Martirosyan, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout and Tony Harrison, among other well-known victims. He stopped the slick, experienced Harrison in the 11th round of his most-recent fight to avenge his only loss and regain his belt.
That’s an impressive resume. Yet Charlo doesn’t get the respect of fans and pundits that he feels he has earned. Why? He said it’s because people compare him to his predecessors, stars like Canelo Alvarez.
That’s a tough standard to live up to but Charlo believes he’s on his way.
The victory over Harrison was the biggest step in the process. The next – even bigger than the last – is his title-unification showdown with Jeison Rosario on a two-part pay-per-view doubleheader Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.
“I think a victory in this fight gives me the respect I deserve,” Charlo told Boxing Junkie. “… I got my title back with a dominant win, with a knockout. I think a victory takes me to the next level.
“This is a big moment. The is in the past now. I want to finish what I started. I want to conquer all the belts.”
Jermell Charlo is as intense in interviews as he is in the ring. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) and his team understand that won’t be easy.
Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs) is an unusually strong, skillful fighter who is coming off a dazzling upset of veteran Julian Williams this past Jan. 18, which ended dramatically in the fifth round. The Dominican looked sensational that night.
Derrick James, Charlo’s trainer, called Rosario “a complete fighter,” which is the ultimate compliment in boxing.
Charlo says he’s ready for the challenge and no one who has followed his career doubt his preparation. He hasn’t fought since the victory over Harrison in December – nine months ago – but he went directly into the gym he built inside his Houston home and hasn’t left since.
James said his protege arrived to start training camp for the Rosario fight “already in great shape.”
And it’s clear that he’s in a good place mentally. He believes he was cheated by the decision in the first fight with Harrison, who won by a close, but unanimous decision. He fought like a man possessed in the rematch, determined to show the judges what he thought of them and the world what he could do.
Harrison went down once in the second round and twice in 11th before the fight was stopped. Charlo walked out of the ring with his belt and overflowing with confidence.
“I learned so much from those two fights,” he said. “They taught me to be who I am. I learned in the first fight that you don’t let 12 rounds expire before you get what you want. The loss gave me jet fuel, turned me into the monster that I am.
“Now it’s time to get Rosario out of there.”
Charlo (right) stopped Tony Harrison in their rematch. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
James hesitated to trot out the best-camp-of-my-life cliché but said the same thing in different words: “This is one I really loved.”
“The focus from Jermell is higher than ever because of the magnitude of this fight, the opponent himself and what’s at stake,” he said. “He was already in great shape when we got to camp. So we’ve just built off of that from the start.
“We’re building off of the last fight. We’re reconstructing some things and he’s looking really good. He’s got his mind right, and he knows that what we’re working on will help him in the fight.
“From the first time I started training Jermell, he wanted to be in this position. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. He wants all the belts, so it’s beautiful to see his dreams manifest. It’ll all come together on September 26.”
Charlo was asked how he thinks the fight might go but didn’t answer directly, saying only that he’ll adjust to whatever Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs) throws at him.
The key for Charlo is that he has no doubt whatsoever that he’s ready physically, mentally and emotionally to handle anything he encounters in the ring. That, he said, will be obvious after the opening bell rings on Saturday night.
“Me and my brother have come so far together,” he said. “It’s not just in boxing, but everything in our lives. We’re proof that all you have to do is keep pushing and trying. September 26 is the day that I have to make all of the time I put into this sport worth it.
“… All I’m doing is continuing to grow as an individual every day. We have to set our minds the right way and know how to roll with the punches. I’ve taken it upon myself to be even more dedicated and focused.
“Every time I feel pain, I think about all the other boxers out there pushing through pain. Now you see where we’re at because of it.”