What Jermell Charlo‘s accomplished like him or not, is impressive. To go down the list of every champion ever at junior middleweight and realize he’s the only one to be undisputed in the four-belt era is also a tad shocking. But with this massive pinnacle being reached, what is Charlo’s plan now?
Now that “Iron Man” is finally all-in on listening to trainer Derrick James, things should be done with less chaos. Between Errol Spence and Charlo; James may sit behind only Eddy Reynoso as the best trainer in the game. Charlo is just entering his boxing prime now. His defense is getting better, and when zeroed in on the task at hand, makes better in-fight adjustments. He has a well above average speed and power mix. And is controlling distance with his jab better than before, plus he has a left hook that is top-three in the game.
Even though Charlo counters well, he still gets hit. And if Castano was able to get inside on him; almost at will, it’ll almost be like a stroll in the park for others.
What Is Charlo’s Plan; Staying Where He Is
There’s a good argument for Charlo to stay where he is. Despite how good he is, he’s still learning. Like; it may not always be good to fight with a chip on the shoulder. That being relaxed is more beneficial. Plus, there’s still huge fights for him, and defending an undisputed status only grows one’s legacy that much more. And he’s only about to turn 32, giving him time to make a move.
And no sooner did he finish Brian Castano; did the first two-mandatories make their arguments.
Both Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu pointed out the obvious. He doesn’t like being pressured. If this was the WWE he could deal with both at the same time. If this was the 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s he could do both fights inside of six-months. But that’s not how boxing works anymore. So one of them will just have to wait.
Except for the tip top at 154, there’s parity. Fighters like Jarrett Hurd and Liam Smith could push him; but neither could beat him, let alone happen anytime soon. Fundora, may be champion one day, but it’s not now. Especially since he doesn’t just bully others with his size. Yes he comes forward and throws straight and in bunches. It’s hard to know if the size and reach would bother Charlo. But with his power and “The Towering Inferno” not getting off the centerline, it may be the better choice to do that one first.
Tszyu, is in baseball terms “five-tool”. He does everything above average, and is just dangerous. Although Charlo’s on a roll right now; it’s not hard to imagine him slipping up against Tszyu.
Head To 160 Now
The game-plan for Jermell and brother Jermall were always to go up. Should Jermell decide now that the mountain has been conquered and wants to climb another one, there’s no better time than now. It’ll give Jermall the opportunity to really chase Canelo Alvarez at 168.
However, the small holes Jermell still has would be really brought to the forefront at middleweight. Demetrius Andrade, Jaime Munguia, and Gennady Golovkin would all be tough for him, as would others. Especially if they follow the Castano playbook even more so than the Tony Harrison playbook.
So what Derrick James and the team has to drill into Charlo now is that it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And that’s what Charlo’s plan should be. The money and the fights will be there in the future.
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2 Comments
At least three people would beat Jermell Charlo if he hangs around at 154. He doesn’t want smoke from anyone who “on paper” has more natural boxing skill or body dimension advantages.
Not sure anyone isn’t concerned about L’s against better talent. But as long as he is mentally right, and focused… he could hold the straps for a while.