Saturday’s PPV doubleheader features two marquee title fights including a bout in which Jermall “Hitman” Charlo (30-0) will defend his WBC Middleweight title against two time world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2).
Also on the ledger will be a Junior Middleweight title unification bout between WBC champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (33-1) and IBF and WBA champion Jeison Rosario (20-1).
Both bouts figure to be high-level contests with huge divisional implications aside from the obvious titles on the line. Each fighter has the ability and potential to solidify their position atop of their respected division.
Additionally, this will be the first Showtime Pay-Per-View card to feature the Charlo twins, providing an opportunity for each of them to reach a new level of stardom in the sport.
Charlo-Derevyanchenko
Jermall Charlo is coming off of a knockout victory against Dennis Hogan in Brooklyn back in December. Hogan was coming off an impressive performance against Jaime Munguia in which he lost a controversial decision, and was expected to be a good test for Charlo. Instead, Charlo dismantled Hogan and finished him in the seventh round.
For Charlo, Derevyanchenko provides potentially his toughest test to date and will certainly be his toughest opponent so far as a Middleweight. Derevyanchenko is coming off of a close decision loss against Gennadiy Golovkin in a fight where many thought Derevyanchenko may have deserved the nod. Aside from that, his only other loss was in another very close contest against Daniel Jacobs.
Both have the potential to put themselves in a position to get another marquee matchup with a win. Undoubtedly, Derevyanchenko would love another shot at GGG. Conversely, Charlo has yet to receive a crack at the top of the division, and has been outspoken about his desire to face GGG and Canelo Alvarez for years.
A win for either puts them right in contention to compete at the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Particularly for Charlo, this fight could act as a statement victory if he is able to put on a strong performance and defeat Derevyanchenko soundly, based on the closeness of his fights with GGG and Jacobs.
Charlo-Rosario
Jermell Charlo, coming off of a career (to date) defining knockout win over bitter rival Tony Harrison to reclaim his WBC title, will look to ensure that the IBF and WBA belts change hands for the third time in less than two years.
On the other hand, Jeison Rosario is coming off of his shocking upset victory in Philadelphia over hometown Julian “J-Rock” Williams in which he claimed the aforementioned titles in a fifth round TKO of what was a dominant performance by the fighter from the Dominican Republic.
Had Rosario-Charlo been made prior to Rosario’s performance against Williams, Charlo would have likely been viewed as a huge favorite. However, Rosario’s dismantling of Williams has propelled his standing in the division and the way he is perceived by the boxing community.
Both Charlo and Rosario have electrifying offensive styles and should make for a very fan pleasing affair, with the winner solidifying himself as the undisputed king of the Junior Middleweight division.
Not only does the PPV feature two of the biggest stars in boxing today, but it features those stars against A-level opponents in what should be highly contested, 50-50 fights.
This is the type of event we have yet to see since COVID-19. Fortunately for boxing fans, this Saturday, September 26 signifies the return to the big time for boxing.
