Jermall Charlo has refuted that he will be Canelo Alvarez’ next opponent after rumors intensified of him potentially facing the Mexican undisputed super middleweight champion on May 4th following an interview Canelo held with TV Azteca where he revealed he would fight an American opponent on the aforementioned date. Charlo admitted to such during an apparent holiday in Turks & Caicos where he filmed himself during a private celebration of Valentine’s Day on February 14th.
While Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KO’s) did not reveal the identity of this future opponent, he did confirm that the nationality of his next combatant would be American. Jermall Charlo’s (33-0, 22 KO’s) name was included on a list of potential opponents Alvarez would face, but the WBC middleweight champion rejected the notion of fighting Alvarez on May 5th.
“I haven’t even talked to Al Haymon since I last fought,” Charlo said during a livestream.
“Everybody keeps talking about, ‘oh you about to fight Canelo [Alvarez]’. Listen, I ain’t got no confirmation; I’m on an island somewhere.“
Charlo also admitted to asking for a fight with Canelo himself, having offered himself for the opportunity if it arose.
“If it’s official, it’s official,” Charlo told fans that had tuned into his livestream. “I offered, I said I’d do it if I got to do [it]. You know what I’m saying?“
It is to difficult to ascertain the validity of Charlo’s statements due to him allegedly admitting to drinking “rum punch”―an alcoholic beverage―within the video which might mean he was inebriated at the time of filming.
More interestingly, Charlo referred to Al Haymon, the head of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) under whose banner he has fought for roughly a decade. According to Jermall Charlo, he has yet to talk to Haymon since his November 25th fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-3-1, 19 KO’s), drastically decreasing the chances of him facing Alvarez on May 5th.
Canelo Alvarez’ current three-fight deal in place with PBC is still ongoing, and with Alvarez having already fought once under the PBC’s banner, Jermall Charlo was considered as a viable opponent following Alvarez win over Charlo’s twin brother, Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KO’s) This especially seemed the case after Charlo fought at a catchweight of 166 lbs last November; which is essentially the same division where Alvarez currently reigns as the undisputed 168 lbs champion.
Other American fighters that Alvarez is expected to face includes WBC interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO’s) and former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KO’s). Though a Benavidez fight would be more realistic as he fights in the same division as Alvarez and is considered the best contender in his weight class, the prospect of Alvarez fighting Crawford cannot be ignored given the profitability their bout is said to have.
Either way, it now appears that Charlo can be ruled out as an opponent for Canelo Alvarez on May 5th, and the focus now shifts towards the other proposed American candidates that seem to be on Alvarez’ hit list.
