Former undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo continues to draw attention following the relinquishment of his title. Charlo faced strong criticism for his performance against Canelo Alvarez, a match he willingly took despite his obligation to fight Tim Tszyu. His recent decision to vacate the IBF title adds to the scrutiny as Russian IBF mandatory Bakhram Murtazaliev is now tipped to fight for the vacant title.
Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KO’s) was slated to face IBF mandatory and #1 contender Bakhram Murtazaliev (21-0, 15 KO’s) based on a mandate initiated by the IBF in October. However, the current unified super welterweight champion decided to forgo the ordered bout by vacating his IBF title, leaving him with only the WBA and the WBC titles.
The timing of Charlo’s decision prompts a closer look at the IBF’s policy. Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KO’s) was recently stripped of his IBF welterweight title over a technicality surrounding a rematch after just three months of obtaining his title, while no action was taken against Charlo, who had not defended his title for over a year.
Charlo’s decision to relinquish his title was a clear attempt to avoid Bakhram Murtazaliev. Charlo withdrew from Tuesday’s purse bid between his team and Murtazaliev’s, informing the IBF of his decision to vacate the title.
Murtazaliev’s mandatory status had made the fight long overdue, with his status dating back to 2019 after defeating Jorge Fortea (24-3-1, 9 KO’s). However, the IBF’s lack of communication and transparency has left Murtazaliev without an opportunity to fight for the IBF title.
Jermell Charlo’s ability to avoid fighting Murtazaliev for over a year, despite claiming the IBF title in May 2022, raises questions about the IBF’s consistency. Charlo briefly moved up in weight to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KO’s) this year in September, which culminated in a disappointing performance on Charlo’s part.
While Charlo was stripped of the WBO title on the same day he fought Alvarez, the IBF did not take similar action, even though Murtazaliev had been waiting for his chance longer than Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KO’s), the WBO mandatory challenger.
Interestingly, Charlo held the IBF belt longer than the WBO title, which he won in May 2022 after defeating Brian Castano. Charlo won the IBF title in September 2020 after a unification victory against then-IBF champion Jeison Rosario (24-4-1, 18 KO’s).
The IBF’s decision to strip Terence Crawford of his title after three months, while allowing Charlo to keep his IBF super welterweight title for over a year, suggests inconsistency and a potential pattern of corruption or bias. This becomes more blatant when analyzing the case of recently-promoted IBF champion Jaron Ennis who became the IBF welterweight mandatory challenger after Crawford faced Errol Spence Jr. on July 29th, and was instantly promoted after three months in that position while Murtazaliev had been a mandatory for four years.
Fortunately for Bakhram Murtazaliev, the IBF has ordered him to face German 154-pounder Jack Culcay (33-4, 14 KO’s) following Charlo’s relinquishment, finally providing him with the opportunity to fight for a world title that he eventually received after several years.
