Jermell Charlo vs. Charles Hatley Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio
Lou DiBella Thanks for joining us. This is our call to announce the co-feature for Andre Berto versus Shawn Porter, the WBC welterweight world title eliminator — that’s going to be on SHOWTIME live at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT from the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 22. Tickets for the live event are on sale now. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000, 1-800-745-3000.
The co-feature is a terrific bout for the WBC junior middleweight championship. Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo 28-0, 13 KOs from Houston, Texas against Charles Hatley, 26-1-1, with 18 KOs from Dallas, Texas. So we got a battle of Texas and Brooklyn on April 22. As most of you know Jermell’s brother is Jermall. They’re one minute apart. Jermell’s one minute younger.
They turned pro in 2007. Jermell had a great record of 56 and 8 as an amateur. Has held a number of small titles. Last year they became the first pair of twins to hold world titles simultaneously in the same weight class. Since Jermall has moved up to the 160-pound division. But Jermell will be defending his title in a very tough defense against Charles Hatley in Brooklyn at Barclays Center on April 22.
For those who don’t know Charles Hatley is promoted by the illustrious Mr. Don King. Charles, you want to say a couple of words to the press please?
Charles Hatley Yes, I’m preparing very well for this fight and it’s going to be a great night for us.
L. DiBella And so Charles’ trainer is his dad, Greg Hatley. Greg, would you like to say a few words?
Greg Hatley We’re really looking forward to the fight. Looking forward to it. Glad for the opportunity for the fight and looking forward to it.
L. DiBella Jermell, you want to talk to the press, champ?
Jermell Charlo Yes, of course. Hello everybody that’s listening. I appreciate you guys for taking the time to just be involved and be active with me and my brother. I’m excited to be in the arena again and I hope Charles Hatley is excited to obviously get another chance to fight for his title.
I know he hasn’t fought in a while — and this is actually one of my longest layoffs — but this has been one of the best because I been able to prepare myself physically, mentally, spiritually. And I been able to adapt and get better. so I’m excited to see what I can bring to the table and bring a better performance than I have done all 28 fights that I’ve fought.
Mr. DiBella you’ve been doing a great job promoting our fights and doing what you can for the Charlos. And right now it’s all about us. It’s about being selfish and it’s about taking control of everything that the opportunities present.
I am the champion. I’ve been here before and I’ve stood my ground before. I’ve been in the ring where I had to put my liberty on my back and that’s what I’m doing right here and I’m doing it again. Y’all fighting a native from Texas but it’s two completely different worlds. I live nothing like these guys and those guys live nothing like me.
And it’s hard to walk in my shoes. Charles will see that when we get into the ring on the 22nd.
Q Just a question for both fighters. You’re both from the Texas area. Have you guys ever fought in the amateurs or ever spar or do you guys know each other well before this fight?
J. Charlo Yes, we never fought in the amateurs. We seen each other fight before. I was a little bit younger than him coming into amateurs and he was older obviously so maybe just one era difference. But no, we never fought in the amateurs but we did pay attention because closely to what we had in front of us.
Q Does both of you guys being from Texas add a little extra to this fight?
Jermell Charlo No. This is my life. This is another victim that’s coming to jeopardize my life and my lifestyle. And so it’s not about where he’s from and Texas, none of that. There’re no robberies, that doesn’t matter to me.
I can’t stand by myself and say, yes, I am the king of Texas but we all have some great champions in Texas so it’s not even about, it’s not about that. It’s deeper than that.
Q Can you just tell me if there’s been any sense of anxiousness or frustration of finally finding out when you’d actually fight and finally knowing for sure it’s going to take place April 22?
J. Charlo Well I’m very humbled to know that everything happens for a reason. I am happy to just to get a chance to get back in the ring, show my skills, knock off the ring rust and have fun. At the same time and do what I love to do. So that’s the anxiety, just being back in the ring and everything else falls in place.
I set myself up to where I can have a future outside of boxing as well. When things like this do take place you aim to still be comfortable. You know, something…
Q Do you feel like because your title win was such a long time ago that the somewhat from momentum may be the wearing off?
J. Charlo No, my focus still there. I’m still fired up, I’m still hungry. I’m hungrier now, obviously, because they made me wait so long. But other than that I’m still hungry, I’m still fired up. I can’t care about what these people think of me, judging me or how they feel or if I’m not relevant to them anymore.
I know what I’m doing, I know how I’m living, and I know how I’m getting ready to fight. So it’s like nothing else that I can do other than just continue to try to be great in the ring and please these fans and be satisfying to my peers and my judges and my family.
Q What did you make of him confronting your brother after his world title victory?
J. Charlo See that’s once again somebody else’s decision. I don’t care about that what that guy is doing. That’s not something that’s on the back of my mind. I couldn’t care less about that.
You jump in the ring and you almost started something or caused something to be worse than what it is all because you trying to really just put on a front. Put that front on in front of someone else.
I’m glad nothing erupted and got even crazier because we got different type of people in our life that don’t allow stuff like that to happen. I’m glad that it didn’t get more dangerous or serious than that. But, he does have to eat a few jabs to the mouth for that.
Q Did you and your brother ever kind of joke around about it a little bit?
J. Charlo Well we laughed on the plane and that was it. We were like look at this guy. We’re so used to stuff like that. Different people they don’t know us apart. So I mean I’ve been dealing with that all my life.
So we kind of had a little laugh and were like okay you didn’t know us apart but at the same time why do you disrespect us. I could say that you’re wrong for it and you got problems. Or I’m going to make you pay. But I don’t take it that seriously.
Q How has sparring with Errol Spence Jr. sharpened your skills and upped your game and increased your intensity for this fight?
J. Charlo Well that’s what I got to come out and show you guys. I’ve been working out with Errol and he’s a great fighter. Errol is very dominant and I love everything he’s doing. We’re both around the same age and we both teach each other. There are so many fighters in the gym with so many talents. So I believe when it comes down to April 22 I’ll be able to show some of those same things that we taught each other.
Q How anxious are you to put hands on him?
J. Charlo I’m just as anxious as any fight. I’m calm, I’m a really patient person. And I’m happy about my opportunities. I’m taking every moment very seriously. Training with Errol brings a lot to my repertoire.
Q Derrick could you weigh in on that too?
Derrick James Well you know, it’s funny because I’ve been training Jermell for like almost two years and I like to give everybody their own personal private time when they train. So they never really trained together.
But for this fight I felt like I wanted Jermell to get to another level, be more focused, and be pushed to where when he’s in the ring with a guy like Charles Hatley, he won’t care about you him. Hopefully it’ll be a lot easier, a lot different, so. Two different levels of fighters. This being said they’re very anxious.
Not really anxious just waiting for the fight to happen. You have something you just lingering and kind of want to get it over with so you move forward and get ready for the next one or whatever. So that’s basically my focus and – but Jermell and Errol sparring raises him up to a whole other level.
It’s one thing to be a good fighter but to be one of the best fighters in the world, most technically sound fighter in the world and to help each other get ready is phenomenal.
Q I understand that Errol has sparred Hatley. Can you characterize how that was?
D. James Well the first time I saw them spar it was pretty decent. They’ve only sparred three times when I was training Errol. And the first time was pretty decent.
The last two times were…. Well…. you all know what Errol’s motto is. And that was it. We never sparred with him again because it was not so competitive.
C. Hatley Yes, I heard everything that was being said which wasn’t true. I swear I sparred Errol many times and yes, we worked several times. And he down – he right, whatever he want to say man down, that’s definitely ain’t true. I got footage of us sparring.
And I have told Derek whenever they’d like to come back they welcome back. But no, they know where I’m at and I never seen them again.
I told him whenever he wants to come back, whenever you want to come back, come over. And I haven’t seen y’all since. So what does that mean?
D. James It wasn’t worth the time, man. It wasn’t competitive, it’s not…
C. Hatley Well I have that on tape as well.
D. James All right, if you say so.
Q Jermell, how do you rate Hatley as an opponent compared to the other opponents that you’ve had?
J. Charlo I give everybody a chance. There is nothing overlooked. He has never fought near the competition I’ve fought as a professional. I’m a different individual, I’m a stronger fighter, smarter fighter, faster fighter.
He knows what he has in front of him. So it’s really about me getting in there, doing what I have to do, and being my best by doing it. I don’t care about who he fought, who he’s sparred, who he’s stopped, who stopped him. None of that matters to me. Every opponent, every victim, has a different way of coming at you. So we all got our different DNA.
Q What do you see as your advantages over him?
J. Charlo I might have several. I really don’t want to speak on the advantages that I have. I have several though.
Q Okay, and a question for Charles. Could you talk a little bit about the layoff?
C. Hatley Yes, well the layoff was good for me. I was so busy at the time and I actually needed the layoff. But I actually thought we were going to fight three months after he won the titles.
It just kept going back, pushing and pushing it back further and further. And I was busy training for it. So I was well prepared for it a while back. I never stopped training for it.
Q How do you compare him with your other opponents that you’ve faced? You consider him to be the toughest fighter you’ve faced?
C. Hatley No, I can’t say that. He’s a great fighter and he’s coming to win just like I am. But he’s never gotten a test like this. I’m sure he’s fought several fighters that they knew he was going to win against. But this fight here they don’t know that he’s going to win.
And I’m sure he’s pushing himself right now. I’m coming to the table to do what I got to do and that’s to bring the belt back to my city. I’m well prepared for it and I’m ready to fight. At the end of the day I’m really about getting in the ring and doing what I said I was going to do.
Q Do either of you want to make a prediction for the fight? (Jermell) first?
J. Charlo No, I’m not making any predictions. I’m coming to win.
C. Hatley He said it clearly. I’m ready and I’m coming to win man. So may the best man win.
Q Can you give me your perspective on what it was like for you to make that long trip to Australia to fight Mundine?
C. Hatley Well I went to Australia with everything against me. The crowd and everything were all against me. I’m actually feeling like it’s another Australia fight, you know? I’m focused, I’m ready and I’m prepared for it. For whatever’s coming.
Q When you went to Australia, what did it teach you about yourself as far as how you could deal with that kind of atmosphere?
C. Hatley Well I made it really easy. I stuck to what we had been training for. I knew I was going overseas and I knew he was a great fighter. But I thought I kept everything in training, what we’d been training. I keep it in and I went in and dominated the fight the whole fight.
Q Can you explain to me if you’ve had any sort of frustration about having to wait so long to get this fight settled?
C. Hatley Yes, I don’t really know what the issue was with this fight. But I just know what the rumors were. But yes, I was prepared to fight mid-September and then March. But the whole time I know — it was September, February, then March. Then back to April which I didn’t care if it was next year, I wanted a fight and I was going to be ready.
Q When you were at his brother’s fight not that long ago and you went into the ring after the fight, kind of a funny scene because you were confronting the wrong guy. Can you just take me through what happened with that?
C. Hatley I’m sure Jermell could tell you as well that this the truth, they tried to make me look like the bad guy. I was in the ring to talk after he came and he looked over to me and he said “Well this cool”. This guy he pushed me first. And then when he pushed me I pushed him back. And that’s where everybody – they got most of the part when I was pushing him. Everybody felt like I pushed him and he didn’t push me but Jermell) I’m sure can tell you as well if he’s being honest, he’ll tell you that. His brother pushed me first and then I pushed him back.
They try to make me like the bad guy so I can be the bad guy for this fight. It doesn’t matter. It’s cool. I do whatever I got to do and beat whoever I have to beat. I’ll come back with that belt that’s what I’m going to do.
Q Well why were you going into the ring? Were you just trying to kind of hype up your mandatory fight for the title?
C. Hatley No, no. Everyone probably thought it was staged. But no, I was told to come in to do an interview after Jermell’s fight, but Don King wasn’t there and no one told me to come up and do the interview. They told me after his brother fought then go up in the ring and do my interview. And that’s where everything took place.
Q Did you learn anything about Jermell from watching his fight with John Jackson?
C. Hatley I learn from every fight no matter who’s fighting. I learn from every fight. I mean that’s what I’m here to do is learn, but far as watching what went on in that fight I really wasn’t paying much attention to it because I was just – I didn’t know who was going to win.
So it wasn’t I had to watch this and watch that on their fight. I’ll just have to be prepared to do what I have to do. I have to worry about me. No one else.
Q Can you talk about your sparring sessions with Errol?
C. Hatley When Errol came to spar, man we work. I’m not in there to beat anyone one up when I’m sparring. I’m in to get work.
There’s a lot of hate in these guys. Like I said I been beating Derrick James up since we was amateurs and he knows that. That’s probably why he’s having a fit right now and saying the thing that he’s saying. But none of it is true.
We come to help each other. Not to hurt each other. But I guess he probably was telling them hey, kill him, hurt him. Kill him, hurt him. When I’m in a ring sparring with the fighter that comes here I help them no matter who it is. When they come I help them.
Q How far are you removed mentally from the knockout loss to Tyner
C. Hatley Weight played a big part of it but I was actually injured. I shouldn’t have even fought. I had just come off from ACL surgery two months before the fight and the doctor told me not to fight for a whole year. But I knew he wasn’t on my level, so. I couldn’t wait to fight, you know, so I told my dad yes, let’s do it. And that’s what happen when you think you know everything.
I actually tried to fight him several times afterwards. I told my dad I was going to fight him again. I tried to fight him and he didn’t want to fight.
Q Did you work with John Jackson befor this fight?
C. Hatley For this fight? Yes, I worked with him a little bit. We did a little work. He’s a great fighter. We worked. It’s not how I’m prepared for this fight. It’s not that much.
Q So are you concerned about having to move up in weight like your brother without cleaning up the division?
J. Charlo No. So that was a major business move plus a career move. It was a massive move. I’m dominating at 54, I make 54 easy. I am getting bigger and I’m getting stronger, I’m getting wiser. I know a lot of people that seen videos of me training over in California. But everything is going great. I’ll be on-weight. It won’t be a struggle, it has never been a struggle.
So I don’t think it ever could be a struggle. Making 154 is easy. Moving up to 160 is what I want my brother to do right now to take the Charlo name and push it up to the top.
I’m glad he’s ranked number two down at WBC. And I’m going to try to unify at this weight-division before I decide to move up.
All I got to do is just train harder than I trained before. Lifting more, learn more, and be great. There’s nothing about anything to do with my brother. So my brother did what he had to do and it ended the way it did. He trained hard, we are gym rats. We work hard. It’s not just getting up, running in. It’s not the amateurs. You can’t just come in throwing punches like you want to. You pick all your mistakes up.
Everything happens for a reason so. I’m excited for the fight. April 22. I’m excited to be in Brooklyn for the first time, fighting in Brooklyn, not even in the amateurs I fought in Brooklyn. This’ll be my first time at Barclays Center and I’m happy. I’m excited. It’s big to me. It’s actually in New York. So this is big to me. This is different. And me and my stablemates and my coaches, my trainers, we’re all working together. We’re planning to have an exciting night.
Q Charles, are you little anxious in the sense there’s some expediency in your career being that you’re 31?
C. Hatley Yes, not going to say none of the time hurt me or anything. I needed that break. I hadn’t even reached my prime yet.
I’m a hard worker. Jermell can tell you that. I’m strong. Not many guys could stand up to my power. I’m sure Derrick and Jermell will tell you that. But like he was saying, the fight is I think the 22nd. I like to do all my talking in the ring.
Q When you turned pro was it just an easy transition?
C. Hatley I couldn’t wait to turn pro to be honest. I couldn’t wait. But the guys I fought in the amateurs. The guys I fought in the amateurs can’t be overlooked. I fought all the top guys really. Right now I fought all them in amateurs. I fought them all. And they can tell you what I did. I’m sure he knows what he’s up against.
L. DiBella Thank you both for joining us. This is a terrific co-feature on SHOWTIME. The show starts at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Saturday, April 22. Get your tickets now.
