Gennady Golovkin

JERMALL CHARLO WANTS GENNADIY GOLOVKIN NEXT, DISCUSSES POTENTIAL MOVE TO SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT

WBC Super Middleweight champion Jermall Charlo is looking to land a fight against IBF titleholder Gennadiy Golovkin next.

Stephanie Trapp/Showtime

Business seems to be picking up for Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) as he looks to book his next fight. 

Currently campaigning at 160 pounds, the unbeaten Charlo is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko last September, in which he successfully defended his WBC Middleweight title. 

Moving forward, the 30-year-old, who’s currently ranked as the No. 2 Middleweight by Ring Magazine, seems to have options awaiting him in multiple weight classes.

However, Charlo seems to be fixated on landing a unification bout with IBF titleholder Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs). 

“I’m trying to lock in this Triple G fight, I’m letting you know first,” Charlo told Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “That’s kind of what I’ve been working on. At least that will give me a little more stepping power to say I can fight Canelo.”

A bout between Charlo and Golovkin would not only make sense, but it would be highly intriguing from a stylistic standpoint. “GGG”, who currently fights on DAZN, is coming off a one-sided title defense over mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta this past December. 

If a fight against Golovkin can’t be made, Charlo could also look towards a unification bout against undefeated WBO champion Demetrius Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs), who, although talented, has been criticized heavily for the lack of elite opposition he’s faced thus far. 

Charlo, however, doesn’t see Andrade as a threat. 

“This clown, nobody knows him…I would blow his f*#king mind with these straight right hands, and I promise you he can’t even last five or six rounds,” he said. “That pressure is different out here!”

If nothing comes to fruition at Middleweight, a potential move up in weight to 168 pounds, which has been a topic discussed in the media, could be a possibility for Charlo, who previously held a title at 154 pounds, as well. 

And it’s safe to say that a move up in weight would provide no shortage of opportunities for Charlo either. In fact, he’s already been called out by former two-time Super Middleweight titleholder David Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs).

“Lets make that fight happen, I’m going to knock his little punk ass out! I promise that, I put that on everything I love, I give him about four rounds, five rounds, before I knock him out in five rounds, six rounds no more,” Charlo said. “He get hit too much, I’m powerful, I’ll explode on him, I do my thing…trust me. I’ve been doing this all my life, put me in there. I’m a lion, lets get it.”

The 24-year-old Benavidez, who fights under the PBC banner alongside Charlo, is coming off a dominant stoppage victory over Ronald Ellis earlier this month. Given his size and fighting style, Benavidez would provide a unique test for Charlo. 

Of course, however, the big fish in the sea at 168 pounds is pound-for-pound king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs). The Mexican star currently holds two titles and is on a quest to become an undisputed champion in his new weight class. Still, as a former Middleweight titleholder, a bout between him and Charlo has long been sought after. 

According to Charlo, though, no effort has been made by Team Alvarez to make the fight happen. 

“We were at 154 together, 160 together, and if I campaign at 168, we’re at 168 together,” Charlo said. “I haven’t gotten a call from them, I don’t know what the hype is all about, but I have not gotten a call from their camp. Their camp has not called me, they have not tried to initiate a fight, they have not even gone to the negotiation levels, so don’t listen to the hype.”

However, regardless of the possibilities available at 168 pounds, Charlo seems content on remaining at Middleweight for the immediate future, as he hopes to become a unified champion just as his brother, Jermell, has down a weight class below.

“I want to unify like my brother did,” Charlo said “At 160, at least let me unify, let me capture the division, there’s somebody when can unify, we can fight. It don’t matter who got the belt. Maybe like two to three more fights.”

CHARLO TALKS MOVING UP TO 168, & SECURING BIG FIGHTS WITH CANELO, BENAVIDEZ, ANDRADE & GOLOVKIN

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