By: Hans Themistode
On June 29th the Middleweight division had two of their youngest stars on full display. WBC champion Jermall Charlo (29-0, 21 KOs) and WBO title holder Demetrius Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) successfully defended their crowns.
For Charlo, he easily dispatched of Brandon Adams. Andrade on the other hand, pitched a shutout against former title challenger Maciej Sulecki. Both of these performances were eerily similar.
October 20, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Demetrius Andrade and Walter Kautondokwa during their 12 round bout for the vacant WBO middleweight championship at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
For starters, both men fought in front of their hometown fans. Providence, Rhode Island for Andrade while Charlo performed in front of a ruckus crowd in Houston Texas. Neither man managed to score the knockout but they dominated from start to finish. Adams managed to win one single round in his fight against Charlo while Sulecki wasn’t awarded any rounds in his contest. In short, these men put on impresive performances.
It isn’t just their most recent performances that shows some glaring similarities, but its also their measurables as well. Both champions have a standing reach of 73 and a half inches. There isn’t much of a difference in terms of height either with Andrade standing at six feet one and Charlo at six feet even.
The Middleweight division is quite possibly the most star studded division in all of boxing. With names such as Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs its understandable. However non of them, with the exception of Canelo seems to have a higher upside.
The question begs to be asked, who exactly deserves a shot at the consensus best fighter in the division, Canelo Alvarez. Both men have clamored for a shot against the cinnamon headed unified champion. Each have a case to be chosen next, but who is more deserving? It’s hard to say as they are both supremely talented.
There is one simple way to decide, have them fight one another. With non of the other top tier fighters of their division in a rush to enter the ring with them, it is time for them to step into the ring against one another.
For years a bout between these have been discussed but never materialized. With both men associated with different networks, a fight between these two doesn’t appear likely. With that being said however, they need each other, now more than ever.
