Undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell ‘Iron Man’ Charlo 35-1-1 (19) has vowed to knockout undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 59-2-2 (39) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 30.
The 33-year-old Texan will be jumping up two full weight classes in his ambitious bid to dethroned the Mexican superstar.
“I think I can knock him out, yeah,” Charlo said on The Last Stand podcast with Brian Custer. “I think I got the power to knock him out.”
That will be no mean feat for the career 154-pounder, who will be boxing at 168-pounds for the first time in his 16 year professional career.
Alvarez, 33, has shown a sturdy chin since turning pro at 15 way back in 2005. Thirty-six rounds against dangerous puncher Gennadiy Golovkin 42-2-1 (37) across three fights is testament to his durability.
But Charlo is unconcerned about this and believes his power, which has wiped out Brian Castano, Tony Harrison, Jeison Rosario and Erickson Lubin amongst others in world title defences at junior middleweight.
“I throw a lotta blinding shots and I throw a lotta different shots that’s unique,” Charlo continued.
“It’s weird and very, very different from a lotta other people and they’re very strong. And I’ve been throwing those shots for years and practicing those certain specific shots for years. And I think he’ll get touched by one of ’em.”
As for the firepower coming back his way, Charlo says he really won’t know just how hard Alvarez hits until he gets in the ring with him.
“Truthfully, I won’t really know until I actually get in there with the 10-ounce gloves,” Charlo said. “Like I won’t know because of the fact that the power in the punches could be a little bit different with a 10-ounce glove.
“But I’ve been in the ring with a lotta guys that’s like way bigger than Canelo, way bigger than me, and that’s because of the fact that, you know, I was knocking guys out in sparring.
“And so in order to spar with a 54-pounder, a lotta them would have to gain a lotta weight. You know, I could feel it and I could feel like when someone was a little too heavy, but that time should rewind itself now and bring itself back because this is what I’mma be facing.”
If Charlo is successful, he will join Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) as the only male boxer to claim all four major world titles in two separate weight classes in the four-belt era.
Omaha, Nebraska’s Crawford, 35, collected his second complete set of belts when he dethroned WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-1 (22) in Las Vegas on the last Saturday in July, adding the hardware to his WBO strap after previously being the undisputed champion at junior welterweight.
Crawford has been linked to potential bouts with both Charlo and Alvarez but which route he likely takes will be largely dependent on what happens on September 30.
