By: Hans Themistode
When Jermell Charlo lost his WBC Jr Middleweight crown to Tony Harrison last year on the 22nd of December, it didn’t seem real. Most who saw the contest were in agreement that Charlo had done more than enough to bring home the victory.
Fast forward roughly one year later, and the two met up once again.
With all of the trash talking coming from the side of Tony Harrison, he turned many into believers. Before the two officially met in the ring, Charlo had one more thing to say to Harrison.
“Get the smelling salts ready.”
Boy was he not lying as he delivered three knockdowns on the night along with an 11th round stoppage.
The disdain that both men had for one another produced one of the best matches on the 2019 calendar. Now that it’s over, where does the now two time world champion go from here? Keep reading to find out.
Erickson Lubin Rematch
It almost seems hilarious for Charlo to grant a rematch to a man that he absolutely destroyed in the very first round when the two met up in 2017. Usually when you lose in the fashion in which Erickson Lubin did, you do whatever it takes to avoid facing off with that opponent anytime soon. Yet since the moment he picked up the first defeat of his career, Lubin has been calling for a rematch.
When he realized that his words couldn’t get him what he wanted, Lubin began running through his competition. Four straight wins later, including three stoppages, Lubin has now fought his way to a healthy spot.
Maybe the former ESPN prospect of the year was not ready when the two first squared off, but he certainly looks ready now.
Patrick Teixeira
Talk about a single win changing everything.
Patrick Teixeira was considered a fringe contender at best. He had the skills and the power but something seemed to be missing from his arsenal. Now that he is a world champion, he has seemingly put it all together.
The now WBO titlist looks like one of the best fighters in the division. His championship win over the never before beaten Carlos Adames was impressive. Now that he has vaulted up the rankings and is in possession of a world title, both Charlo and Teixeira should look to unify next.
It might be a bit difficult to put together due to them competing on different networks and for different promoters, but still, if they can somehow work out the political side of things, this matchup could be an explosive one.
Tony Harrison Part 3
Charlo may have gotten the recent win, but the scoreboard is still tied at one a piece.
Sometimes when a fighter loses to a particular opponent and immediately wins the rematch, the first contest is viewed as a bit flukey. Just check out what Lennox Lewis did to both Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall or even more recently, what Anthony Joshua did to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Just because someone beats you the first time, it doesn’t mean it will happen again. In the case of Tony Harrison and Jermell Charlo, you can easily make the case that a third fight between them could go either way. The first two fights between them have been too good. We all need to see a third in 2020.
