By: Hans Themistode
To be as frank as possible, Jermall Charlo doesn’t like anyone in or around his 160-pound weight class. So it came as no surprise to hear the list of names the Houston native reeled off as must-have opponents before he brings the curtain’s down on his career.
“Obviously I want Canelo,” said Charlo on his social media account. “GGG (Gennadiy Golovkin) on his way out so I gotta get him before he leaves. I gotta knock (Daniel) Jacobs the fuck out.”
At 30 years of age, Charlo has no intentions of ending his career anytime soon. In fact, the two-division belt holder is currently in the midst of a public feud with former super middleweight titlist David Benavidez. Despite campaigning at a smaller weight, Charlo has stated on numerous occasions that he would have no issue with making the trek eight pounds north in order to make their showdown a reality.
At the moment though, Charlo appears to be fixated on his fellow middleweight peers and those who have once fought in the 160-pound division. In the perfect world, Charlo would prefer a tournament of sorts. One that would end the debate surrounding who is the best fighter from the bunch he named previously.
In terms of Canelo and GGG, Charlo doesn’t appear to have any animosity towards them. In the case of Jacobs however, Charlo becomes apoplectic. For years now the pair have simply not liked one another. But for as much as Charlo would love to lay the Brooklyn, product flat on his back in a tournament setting, he would much rather force him to wait on the sidelines.
In the Houston native’s opinion, both Jacobs and current WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade would vie for last place and should face one another to determine who walks away with the infamous crown.
“Jacobs and Andrade can wait since they been waiting so long anyway. They can fight each other and then I’ll fight the winner. Let the third and fourth place fight each other type shit.”
Needless to say, but in Charlo’s hypothetical tournament, he would reign supreme. Although the Houstonian stoutly believes he’s the best in the world, he remembers a time when he was an unknown fighter trying to make a name for himself. With world titles in two separate weight classes and an undefeated record through 31 fights, Charlo, by all accounts, has become a known commodity in the boxing world.
Having said that, Charlo knows good and well that while he is regarded as one of the best in the sport, an unheralded fighter can change things in the blink of an eye.
“There might be another fighter coming up. I was young once. Generations change, somebody’s gonna come up.”