Notebook: Charlo keeping health of recently broken hand to himself
Canelo, Charlo eye history; could a victorious Alvarez next face Crawford?; Ryan Garcia fight date set; Showtime's Espinoza responds to UFC's White; Quick hits; Show and tell
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LAS VEGAS — Jermell Charlo just won’t go there.
The undisputed junior middleweight champion has politely refused to discuss the health of his left hand as he heads into the fight of his life, an audacious two-division rise to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on Saturday (Showtime PPV and PPV.com, 8 p.m. ET, $84.99) at T-Mobile Arena..
Charlo, of course, fractured his left hand in two places during a December sparring session, which forced a scheduled a WBO mandatory title defense against Tim Tszyu that was scheduled for Jan. 28 in Las Vegas to be postponed and eventually canceled altogether when Charlo got the opportunity to face Alvarez.
Because of the injury, Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), 33, of Houston, has been out of action for 16 months since becoming undisputed champion by knocking out Brian Castano in the 10th round of their rematch in May 2022. While the fractures did not require surgery, Charlo said he has consistently been in physical therapy since in an effort to strengthen his hand.
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Alvarez also has had well-documented hand issues, having undergone left hand/wrist surgery last year and saying the injury hampered him in his previous four fights but that it is good as new now.
Charlo, however, has been mum on his hand.
When asked about it by Fight Freaks Unite on Wednesday during a scrum with reporters following the fight week news conference, he offered no details or assessment.
“I don’t speak on those things because, you know, I don’t wanna make an excuse for myself,” Charlo said. “I wanna get in there and be a dog.
“You know that I come to fight. I come to put the pressure (on). I come to box. I mix it up. I fight through adversity. Whatever happens, has to happen. God got this written for me, so I’m not really too much gonna go into like, oh, let me — they said you need to do therapy. All right, I’ll do therapy for the rest of my life. As long as I box, I’ll be doing therapy on that hand. I’ll be trying to make it stronger and stronger and better than ever.”
Alvarez told Fight Freaks Unite he doesn’t care about the status Charlo’s hand.
“I don’t know what kind of surgery he had but I don’t care,” Alvarez said, unaware that Charlo did not have surgery. “I’m ready and that’s all that matters.”
History for winner
Canelo and Charlo both said part of their motivation going into Saturday’s fight is their chance to secure a piece of boxing history.
While Alvarez will be making his sixth overall super middleweight title defense, a victory would be his third of the undisputed crown. No male undisputed champion of the four-belt era has ever made more than two defenses of all four belts.
“I want history for my career,” Alvarez said. “I want to achieve a lot of things. This is another one of them and I can’t wait.”
A win for Charlo would not only be impressive because he is moving up two weight classes but because he would become the second fighter in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes, joining Terence Crawford, who did it at junior welterweight in 2017 and at welterweight with his knockout of Errol Spence Jr. in July.
“Making history means everything to me,” Charlo said. “That’s what it’s all about. We’ll come back to these moments later in life and look back and enjoy it. Right now we’re living in the moment and continuing to turn these chapters.
“I’ve backed up everything I’ve said. Right now this is my time and my moment and I’m gonna proceed and take it.”
Canelo-Crawford?
Ever since Terence Crawford beat down and knocked out Errol Spence Jr. in the ninth round to become the undisputed welterweight champion and ascend to No. 1 on most pound-for-pound lists on July 29, there has been much fan interest in Crawford potentially moving up in weight to challenge Canelo.
It would mean a three-division jump for Crawford, a three-division champion, who won his first title at lightweight and then became the undisputed junior welterweight champion.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) has shown some interest in the potential match during his various interviews after the win over Spence.
There is little doubt that it would be an enormous event. So what does Alvarez think about the possibility should he turn back Charlo’s challenge?
“It’s crazy because (people say), ‘Oh, Jermell is gonna jump two weight classes’ and they say bad things about the fight,” Alvarez told Fight Freaks Unite. “Then they start putting me with Terence Crawford. He’s smaller than Jermell. It’s crazy, but it’s boxing. I’m willing no matter who is there. I just want to bring the best fights for the fans.”
Canelo-Charlo PPV lineup
Super middleweights: Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) vs. Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), 12 rounds, for Alvarez’s undisputed title
Junior middleweights: Jesus Ramos Jr. (20-0, 16 KOs) vs. Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs), 12 rounds
Welterweights: Yordenis Ugas (27-5, 12 KOs) vs. Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs), 12 rounds, for vacant WBC interim title
Middleweights: Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) vs. Armando Resendiz (14-1, 10 KOs), 10 rounds
Ryan Garcia fight date
Junior welterweight star Ryan Garcia posted to social media on Thursday: “Fight announcement next week.” That date will be Dec. 2 in the main event of a Golden Boy card on DAZN at a site to be determined, a source with direct knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite on Friday.
The opponent selection, according to the source, centers on either Golden Boy fighter Oscar Duarte (26-1-1, 21 KOs), 27, of Mexico, who has won 11 fights in a row, or Pedro Campa (34-3-1, 23 KOs), 31, of Mexico, who, despite two losses in a row, turned in solid performances in a seventh-round stoppage loss to lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez in his first fight in the division in August 2022 followed by a 10-round decision to unbeaten Brandun Lee in April in a fight many thought Campa won.
Garcia (23-1,19 KOs), 25, of Victorville, California, who will be in his first fight with trainer Derrick James, is coming back after suffering his first loss via seventh-round knockout to Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a blockbuster Showtime PPV event, a much-anticipated 136-pound catchweight bout on April 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Espinoza hits back at White
Days after UFC boss Dana White continued his usual attacks on Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza, the production of Showtime’s telecasts and said he’d be glad (in pointed language) if Showtime shutters its boxing franchise, as many believe will be the case in the coming months, Espinoza came at White with facts.
At the Canelo-Charlo final news conference on Wednesday, Espinoza said during his remarks that the fight would generate a live gate of more than $20 million at the T-Mobile Arena.
He pointed out that would make it the third Showtime PPV boxing event to generate a gate of at least $20 million in five months with Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia on April 22 and Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford on July 29 each registering north of $20 million in ticket sales.
“That’s a rare feat in combat sports,” Espinoza said of a $20 million-plus gate. “It’s rare in concerts or events of any kind. But this will be the third time (since April) that we’ve done a gate (of more than) $20 million. Again, our third $20 million gate in the last (five) months.
“To put that in perspective, UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April. Like I said, this is special. This is different. There’s nothing else going on in combat sports that matches this type of event. We have to enjoy this event. We need to savor it. This is the best our sport has to offer.
“Not all boxing is the same. Not all combat sports is the same. No, what we’re doing here on Saturday night, what’s been going on all year, is special. It’s different. It’s not the same, old boxing. It’s not like the others. And no disrespect to anyone, but there are levels to this. And what we’re doing here is the highest level of the sport. This is a historic matchup. Truly elite, undisputed champion against another elite, undisputed champion. This is special. It’s different.”
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked three of the PPV bouts on Saturday night: Canelo-Charlo, Jesus Ramos-Erickson Lubin; and Yordenis Ugas-Mario Barrios. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Boxing Social appearance
I joined my friends at Boxing Social to chop it up. We discussed Canelo-Charlo; rampant rumors or Showtime’s imminent exit from boxing; Devin Haney-Regis Prograis; and the passing of the Hall of Fame broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan, my longtime friend. Check out the video here:
Quick hits
Weights from Las Vegas for Saturday’s Showtime PPV card: Canelo Alvarez 167.4 pounds, Jermell Charlo 167.4 (for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight title); Jesus Ramos Jr. 153.4, Erickson Lubin 153.4; Yordenis Ugas 147, Mario Barrios 146.8 (for vacant WBC interim welterweight title); Elijah Garcia 159.6, Armando Resendiz 159.6; Frank Sanchez 241.6, Scott Alexander 217.8; Oleksandr Gvozdyk 174.3, Isaac Rodrigues 183.2; Terrell Gausha 162.4, KeAndre Leatherwood 162.4; Justin Viloria 129.6, Angel Barrera 132; Bek Nurmaganbet 169.8, Abimbola Osundairo 169.6; Curmel Moton 127.6, Ezequiel Flores127.2; Abilkhan Amankul 162.4, Joeshon James 162.2; Gabriel Valenzuela 141.6, Yeis Gabriel Solano 142.
Weights from London for Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing/DAZN card: Jai Opetaia 198.6 pounds, Jordan Thompson 198.9 (for Opetaia’s lineal/IBF cruiserweight title);Cheavon Clarke 198.3, Vasil Ducar 199.4; Jimmy Sains 162.3, Bartlomiej Stryczek 162; Rhiannon Dixon 134.4, Katherina Thanderz 134.2; Ellie Scotney 121.6, Laura Soledad 120.5 (for Scotney’s IBF women’s junior featherweight title); George Liddard 162.6, Peter Kramer 160.5; Ibraheem Sulaimaan 135.8, Joshua Ocampo 133.6; Shannon Ryan 115.1, Xenia Jorneac 113.7; Maiseyrose Courtney 114.2, Martina Bernile 113.1.
Matchroom Boxing announced the undercard for the Diego Pacheco-Marcelo Coceres super middleweight fight on Nov. 18 (DAZN) at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. In the co-feature, Mayerlin Rivas (17-4-3, 11 KOs), 35, of Venezuela, will defend the WBC women’s junior featherweight title for the third time when she faces former featherweight titlist Erika Cruz (16-2, 3 KOs), 33, of Mexico. Also, lightweight Marc Castro (10-0, 7 KOs), 24, of Fresno, California, will engage in his first scheduled 10-rounder against Gonzalo Fuenzalida (12-2, 3 KOs), 27, a Chile native fighting out of Las Vegas, and lightweight Criztec Bazaldua (2-0, 0 KOs), 19, will face fellow southpaw Pedro Angel Cruz (3-3-3, 2 KOs), 25, in all-Los Angeles four-rounder.
Show and tell
Jermain Taylor lived up to the hype coming into the pro ranks off a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics by outpointing Bernard Hopkins to win the undisputed middleweight title and become the second fighter to hold all four major belts simultaneously. Then Taylor beat Hopkins in a rematch and went on to defend against Winky Wright (in a draw), Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks. Then Taylor, who was down to holding the WBC and WBO belts, was matched with unbeaten Kelly Pavlik, a big puncher, who had earned the WBC mandatory position with an exciting knockout of Edison Miranda on the Taylor-Spinks undercard. Taylor and Pavlik met in a highly anticipated fight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which filled with thousands of Pavlik fans who made the trip from his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. I covered the fight at ringside and that weekend the famed boardwalk was filled people wearing Ohio State gear, an obvious sign who they were there rooting for.
The fight was a dramatic classic. From the opening bell they went to battle. In the second round, Taylor dropped Pavlik with an onslaught and looked he was on the verge of a knockout. Referee Steve Smoger allowed the fight to continue and Pavlik made it out of the round. He began to come back and tagged with Taylor with many hard shots as they traded. Taylor was ahead on all three scorecards going into the seventh round when Pavlik hurt Taylor with a right hand that sent him staggering to a corner and then cleaned up on him with a flurry of unanswered punches. Taylor dropped to the mat in a heap in a corner and Smoger emphatically waved it off, causing a wave of emotion from Pavlik’s fans to engulf the arena in an electrifying moment I will never forget. The fight was on Sept. 29, 2007 (and voted fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America) — 16 years ago on Friday. Here is a rare site poster that hung in a Caesars Atlantic City light box during fight week in my collection.
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Photos: Canelo-Charlo, Garcia: Ryan Hafey/PBC; Crawford, Espinoza: Esther Lin/Showtime
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Pavlik-Taylor had me literally jumpin round my lvng room it was so electric, much respect to both but especially The Ghost for the comeback KfkinO.
Thanks for the great coverage all week!
Lots of good stuff there, but the Pavlik-Taylor nostalgia got to me. Great fight, and Kelly sure seemed like a star before Hopkins embarrassed him, and his drinking consumed him. Been a few years since I've heard anything about Kelly; seemed like he was doing ok at the time. Any idea how he is or what he's up to these days, Dan?