Jermall Charlo Really Doesn’t Know Why He Is fighting Juan Macias Montiel!
What is WBC middleweight champion Jermall “Iron Man” Charlo (31-0, 22 KO’s) doing with his career? There is no doubt that he has fallen under great scrutiny for his recent level of opposition. It certainly doesn’t help that his little brother WBA, IBF and WBC super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo will be fighting to become the undisputed champion in his very next bout. Meanwhile, Iron Man is fighting someone that he openly admitted he didn’t even know who he was!
During this rocky period, Jermall certainly has done himself zero favors. Of the other middleweight champion, he can honestly say that the IBF champ Gennady Golovkin wants nothing to do with him. This, however, is not true of all his fellow champions. WBO middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade has been relentlessly beating on his door like a hungry wolf desperate for a pork chop sandwich! Yet due to his dislike of Andrade, Jermall has been hell bent on not facing him. Some would think that a personal grudge would be incentive to pen a fight so that he could sock Boo Boo in the face. Obviously that is not where Charlo’s head is at.
Then there is former WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez. Charlo and Benavidez had engaged in a very public feud for about a year. Both said they wanted the fight and would be happy to mix it up in the ring. Charlo even said that he was willing to move up to super middleweight to make the prizefight happen. Then, overnight, Charlo’s energy changed in a major way.
All of the sudden he was no longer willing to move up in weight. Benavidez was then “too young” and had to be vaccinated. Yet one of the most bogus things that Charlo claimed was that Benavidez brought nothing to the table. Needless to say, his radical change in demeanor was extremely disappointing.
WHO IS THIS AGAIN?!
So it is wildly irritating that after snubbing a great action bout with Benavidez and a unification with Andrade, he has taken this fight with #4 ranked contender Juan Macias Montiel (22-4-2, 22 KO’s). No disrespect to Montiel but he might as well be one of the decoy faces in a “Where’s Waldo” picture book. Virtually no one knows who this guy is, Charlo included!
There was no question that Iron Man was going to be asked why he chose Montiel over his other very available options. So when he was presented this question at the first presser, one would think that he would have a beefed up, prepared answer. This was not the case!
“Fearless, you know? A fighter that you know I think he deserves a chance. At this point he understands, he understands where he at. This is a big fight. A lot of people might not know Juan Montiel, just as well as I didn’t, but for someone to be as fearless as he is and a strong fighter, the people want to see me get tested, right?”
“I want to see those big fights too, but in a matter of time it’ll come. Montiel should be a good fight.”
“I’m ready to fight the best in the world. I’m the best in the world, so I get a chance to show you guys. And I am not going to let this guy over here stop me. The belt’s not going nowhere! I’m telling you the belt staying right here in H-Town. That’s what we do, trust me!”
That response was beyond pathetic. For one, what would make Charlo say that he is “fearless” if he didn’t even know who he was? That makes absolutely no sense. Along those same lines, why would Montiel deserve a chance if Iron Man had no clue of who he was? While on the topic of making no sense, if he wants the big fights, why not take one of the two previously mentioned in this article?
Yes, the fans do want to see him tested in big fights, not facing the first face he saw on a milk carton. Why are we being made to wait? So he can fight presumably a no-hoper that no one knows? A no-hoper who, unlike Benavidez, literally brings absolutely nothing to the table at that!
I’M THE BEST, BUT WHY I GOT TO FIGHT THE BEST?!
This is weak and sad. This is a fight where Charlo has zero to gain and everything to lose. So if he prevails, ideally he stops merely talking about his willingness to face the best and actually fights them. Let’s just hope that he starts displaying some of the fearlessness that he so admires in Montiel in his own career.
By: Bakari Simpson
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