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IN A CLASSIC CASE of identity confusion, Jermell Charlo is actually going to face Canelo Alvarez in September, not his twin brother Jermall. Sorry! It has been officially confirmed that Jermell – who operates at 154lbs – will jump into the super middle class and face Alvarez in Las Vegas. According to similar reports, Jermell intervened at the last minute when his brother made it clear that he would not be available in time due to inactivity and personal issues he is currently dealing with.
That makes for a good story, but an unlikely one. Unfortunately, the article could be found for longer, but a few weeks ago a reporter for a Houston newspaper wrote about how Jermell (not Jermall) will play Canelo in September. Likewise, Showtime broadcaster Brian Custer tweeted that he had known Jermell would be Canelo’s next opponent for a while and found it difficult to keep the news private. That tweet has been deleted.
Jermall, who is of average weight, did some video interviews a few weeks ago and looks heavy. Even then, he didn’t look like someone who could really fight Alvarez for several months.
So it’s a bit odd that respected boxing reporters are spreading the story of Jermell replacing his brother at the last minute without much questioning it. There’s also not much mention that Canelo and Jermell were both ‘world’ super welterweight champions at the same time about seven years ago, but didn’t fight each other, and are now doing so with a double jumper. weight classes. It’s not a big deal and there could be a case where Canelo pivots to Jermell when it’s clear Jermall isn’t ready, but it’s unlikely it would be a hasty decision as has been reported.
Charlo with his belt
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, ESPN recently fired some of its broadcasting talent, including boxing Max Kellerman. According to the New York Post, who reported, Kellerman made a staggering $5 million a year at ESPN, which partly explains why he was let go. His talent has also spread to analyzing the NBA, as well as boxing, on ESPN – a move that has yielded mixed results.
Kellerman, who originally rose to prominence in boxing at HBO, is a speciality broadcaster and it will be interesting to see what he does next in the sport. The likes of DAZN and Showtime are certainly preparing touts for his services.
ESPN.com published the first in a new series of columns called ‘The Boxing Fix’ and the solution offered in this column is simply to ‘make big fights’. While boxing has no doubt suffered due to the inability to get the best to fight the best, the timing of this particular article is odd. Right this year, we’ve got Gervonta Davis v Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney v Vasiliy Lomachenko this year, and later this month we’ll see a monster clash between Errol Spence and Terence Crawford as well. like the eye-catching match between Naoya Inoue and Stephen Fulton.
2023 is shaping up to be one of the best years for big boxing matches in recent memory. ESPN’s column barely acknowledges this. It also focuses on many of the problems that prevent major wars from happening – promoters not working together, inflated budgets creating unrealistic expectations – without offering many solutions. There are several quotes from promoters about the inability of boxing fans to understand the intricacies of fight negotiations – meaning there’s nothing new here.
The Guardian published an article about Eddie Hearn in which writer Simon Hattenstone visited the promoter at Matchroom HQ in Essex. Much of the article focuses on Hearn’s early life, walking on the ground that most of us in the boxing world are familiar with. Sadly, not much emphasis has been placed on Hearn’s current position: trying to make a mark in America that no British promoter has yet done, including Hearn’s father Barry.
And Barry is the main character in this feature – Eddie talks about his father’s impact on him and his career. There is also discussion of Eddie’s almost morbid commitment to his work. But a thread that hasn’t been pulled is the link between the two, that Hearn’s need to always work hard and prove himself may stem from the fact that he comes from such a privileged background and refuse to be considered what is now called. as a ‘nepo baby.’ Of course, this is just false psychology.
He also reflects on the restless nature of his work life and how this can ultimately have consequences. But the rather wise Hattenstone remained unconvinced – it seems that Hearn’s nature is not slowing down. Some people deny promoters like Hearn get big features like this more than the boxers themselves, but the likes of Hearn, Frank Warren, Bob Arum, and others are all compelling characters. with many stories to tell. They are also some of the most influential people in the sport – it’s always worth lifting their lives and minds.
broadcasts
Warren joins talkSPORT on BBC Radio to discuss all things boxing and is passionate about what’s happening with Tyson Fury. When asked about the possibility of fights with MMA superstars Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, he asserted that those bouts could be done before revealing that Tyson’s next opponent was almost done. confirmed and possibly a “game changer”.
Connecting the dots, it looks like Warren is referring to Ngannou. The only other options that can realistically be described in that way are Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, neither of whom will fight Fury next.
And even then, a Ngannou fight wouldn’t really change the game. We’ve seen this before (Mayweather-McGregor) and it sucks.
Boxing on the box
Saturday 8
Diego Pacheco-Manuel Gallegos
DAZN
Coverage starts at 2am
Sunday 9
Vergil Ortiz-Eimantas Stanionis
DAZN
Coverage starts at 1am
