"I'm actually fighting May 3rd or May 2nd for the WBO eliminator. All the talk will cease eventually. I commend him for being a champion, but I'm a young fighter coming up; a young fighter with a different ambition. I feel that all that talk, it can sometimes turn around and bite you, so I keep my mouth closed and I let things be what it is...So if he tells you that he can beat anybody in his weight class, the only way to prove that is by fighting. I'm working with Al Haymon and I'm working with Golden Boy; we're gonna make this fight happen, hopefully this year or the beginning of next year," stated undefeated jr. middleweight contender Jermell Charlo, who talked about his upcoming return to the ring, his future plans, and much more. Check it out!
MR: During the early part of your career, you had to fight a pretty rough schedule. You fought Vito Gasparyan, who was a tough guy on the Cali scene, then an undefeated guy in Abdon Lozano in your next fight. You were 10-0 at the time. Then you had to fight another undefeated guy in Luis Grajeda. After that, you fought Denis Douglin, who was a national champion in the amateurs, Chris Chatman, a highly touted prospect at the time, and a durable guy in Dashon Johnson, who body slammed you. Do you feel that you had to fight tougher fights than most prospects early on in your career?
JC: I do agree with that fact that I did face tough opposition early on, and the reason why is because at an earlier stage in my career, I had to basically prove a point to my promoters and my managers and to the people that were around me that I was the real deal. I had a point to prove. And every time I beat somebody, I would say, "They are gonna start believing in me now." I went through a phase in my life and in my career where I thought some of the same people that you walk around with could possibly be your enemies, which turned out to be a good thing because look where I am at right now.
MR: Do you feel that things changed a little bit once your brother sort of caught up to you in exposure in the marketability aspect?
JC: Well, my brother came on a year after me. He had a couple of rough years. It looks like he came a little late, but he has actually always been there. He just had some manager issues and went through some legal things, so he had to get out of that contract with his manager and it took a little time. But once he got everything going afloat, then folks started seeing the twin brothers. People in boxing that were in boxing when we were younger in the amateurs, they knew about my brother, they knew about the twins, they knew about everything. There wasn't anything hidden. Now, I feel that once my brother did come on, I kinda had to be looked at like I was around his range of fights, when I was already at 17-19 fights, but that is okay with me because I grew up with him in boxing and with him also. What Al Haymom has done now that my brother has signed with him is try to catch him up to me so we can be equal. Folks are realizing that we're solid fighters no matter what. We're gonna keep getting our names buzzed. It is two of us, so when it's two of you guys in the game, you both got to be good. Everybody talks and tries to compare who is the better out of us two.
MR: How did you feel when your brother received a title shot first, even though you are ranked higher and have more fights?
JC: As of right now, I am satisfied with where we are at and I am not looking over the fact that he did get a chance to fight for a title, even though I was fighting before him, because I do feel like we are a team. If you have a team, you have to have team workmanship. I know my time is coming, and I know that his time is coming. Regardless of who goes first, it is gonna be there. It doesn't really matter. There is enough belts and enough money in this division to share. I am not a selfish person, so I know that all I have to do is continue to stay focused and train hard and my chance will come. There's a lot of guys out there that want to be at the top. I'm not mad at that. Who actually is going to be at the top is what really matters.
MR: What's going on with Demtrius Andrade? He seems to want to fight you and apparently he was calling you guys out in Vegas at the Canelo vs. Angulo fight. When I asked to get his thoughts on you, his exact words were, "I'll whip his ass." Would you accept a fight with him if he wins his mandatory in June?
JC: I'm actually fighting May 3rd or May 2nd for the WBO eliminator. All the talk will cease eventually. I commend him for being a champion, but I'm a young fighter coming up; a young fighter with a different ambition. I feel that all that talk, it can sometimes turn around and bite you, so I keep my mouth closed and I let things be what it is. I can't control what another man says, but he's a champion. He called me a "gatekeeper," but he should realize that I have fans and I have fans for a reason; not because I get in there and I'm a twin brother. That doesn't build fans. It is because I fight and I fight hard. I win. Even the fights that people thought I wasn't gonna win, like the Rosado fight. That was a tough fight. A lot of people didn't think I was going to pull it off, but I did. I got in there and I boxed. I got a lot of respect for Andrade. We actually talked in Vegas and I wake up the next morning and I see his video and I'm like, "What kind of BS is that?" But if you're a man, you gotta be able to say that you can beat anybody in your weight class. So if he tells you that he can beat anybody in his weight class, the only way to prove that is by fighting. I'm working with Al Haymon and I'm working with Golden Boy; we're gonna make this fight happen, hopefully this year or the beginning of next year.
MR: Do you feel as though you deserve a shot at Canelo?
JC: I would love to fight Canelo. We are both young, he's a champion, he getting all the attention, and he making a lot of noise, but there are politics to this game of boxing. That's what people don't realize. I have to stand my ground and wait my turn. But if Canelo ever gets a chance to fight me, I'm gonna do what I do best and that is win. Golden Boy has promoted Canelo really well. Canelo has promoted himself really well. He is a star in boxing. I would love that fight with Canelo. I would take that over an Andrade fight because Canelo has the fan base. Andrade doesn't have a fan base. I would get that WBO title and make a fan base behind that title.
MR: 154 is going to be the best division in boxing in the next few years. Besides your brother, who do you think are the best veterans and young guys in the division?
JC: There's a lot of good guys. Demetrious Andrade is a solid fighter. Erislandy Lara is a solid fighter. They got some European fighters now too. Julian Williams is a solid fighter. But you can't overlook me and my brother. We are up there for a reason. I don't even care about that ranking stuff. I feel that Austin Trout is a solid fighter. He just had tough fights. 154 to me is the best division. It is real tense and we got some killers.
MR: How did you feel and/or how did you take what Julian Williams said during his post-fight interview on Fox Sports 1? His exact statement was, "I gotta show my marketability in the ring, because I don't have a twin brother, I don't have a bunch of tattoos, and I don't rap." Did you take that personal?
JC: It was an advantage. He got a chance to be on national television. I don't feel like he called me out. Calling someone out is saying, "You know who I want to fight next...and that's who I want to fight." He didn't do that. He didn't say, "I want to fight either Charlo brother; I can beat them." Congrats on his victory, but he was just letting folks know the things that he needs to do to better his career and that is market himself. A lot of other writers and reporters and fans got it all screwed up saying that he called us out, but honestly, a fight with Julian Williams as of right now doesn't do anything for me because my main primary goal is to win a world title and that is what we are working for. I'm not saying that I am overlooking him, but we'll meet at the top eventually. It's not like he is being avoided or it's not like he's not ready because the dude can fight. It will make a good fight, a fan-friendly fight, and we'll get it on, but right now, that is not our main goal. He is going to keep building his career and grow as a contender. Right now, I feel like he is a prospect, but he is a top prospect. He will grow into that contender level.
You can follow Jermell Charlo on Twitter at @TwinCharlo.