IT wasn’t that long ago that Jermall Charlo was being touted as a serious option for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
The Mexican opted to fight his twin brother, Jermell, instead, defending his undisputed super-middleweight status against the undisputed super-welterweight king.
A fight against Canelo now seems further away than ever, given Jermall’s latest run-in with the law. A traffic accident in Texas led to a police chase and inevitable arrest. Found to be intoxicated, Charlo was later bailed, but the physical and reputational damage had been done.
Things went from bad to worse in the aftermath of the crash as the WBC finally stripped him of their world middleweight title, elevating interim champion Carlos Adames to full title holder.
Charlo was already clinging to his title by a thread, having not defended it in almost three years. Jermall’s out-of-the-ring issues were cited as one of the reasons why the WBC had stuck by him for so long in the first place, allowing him to retain a belt in the light of such inactivity.
New champ Adames, a New York-based Dominican, won the interim crown by knocking out Juan Macias Montiel. He added credibility to his reign by stopping Julian Williams in an exciting 2023 Minnesota title defence.
Adames has also defeated ubiquitous gatekeeper Sergiy Derevyanchenko. The decision to belatedly elevate him makes sense, even though most fighters desire to win their silverware in the ring. As for the man he has replaced, Jermall Charlo’s main focus will be on recovery.
Last seen in the ring against Jose Benavidez Jr in late 2023, that fight ended an already lengthy spell of ring activity spanning over two years.
Who knows when Charlo will grace the squared circle again, if at all. It’s unlikely to be against Canelo who has turned his attention to Edgar Berlanga, as David Benavidez and David Morrell stand in line waiting for the call.