Why not a Jermall Charlo v Demetrius Andrade unification?
Currently, the middleweight division is in prime position to establish one of the three champions as the one true king. WBO champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and WBC champion Jermall “Hit Man” Charlo are both fresh off dominant wins.
In their respective June 29 prizefights, Charlo and Andrade won virtually every round of their fights. In fact, Boo Boo literally did win every single round on the judges’ scorecards.
Following their victories, both boxers were quick to call out Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Alvarez was, until recently, the WBC middleweight champion, but was seemingly promoted to be named the “Franchise Champion.”
Little is known about this new distinction because Alvarez is the first boxer in the sport to ever be given the recently fabricated title. Throughout the industry, many are openly ridiculing the new status.
For years, boxing fans and insiders have complained endlessly about the staggering amount of belts that the various sanctioning bodies have created. The laundry list of alphabet belts only serve to confuse and dilute the issue of divisional supremacy.
In fact, the biggest gripe about this new WBC Franchise strap is the fact that most believe it was only established to allow Canelo to duck Charlo. This is a reality that is damn hard to deny!
The Controversy
Earlier this year, Alvarez said himself that he was seeking to unify and become the undisputed middleweight champion by the end of 2019. At the present moment, he is only two fights away from realizing this dream.
The last two pieces of the puzzle are Andrade and Charlo. Both Boo Boo and the Hit Man have religiously called out him for years. Ironically enough, Alvarez seems to be allergic to uttering either name.
Team Alvarez remained unwilling to mention the fellow champions. Also, they seem to want to fight in any division but middleweight at the moment.
The only middleweight scrap that receives a modicum of reference is a third bout with Gennady Golovkin that no one is overanxious to see. This is one crazy scenario to say the least!
Rather than continue to call out the willfully deaf Alvarez, it would seem a more prudent option for Andrade and Charlo to face one another. Their fight would still be a unification, they are two top talents and it’s a fresh match-up.
If orchestrated, the winner would then be only one fight away from the enviable designation of undisputed. As one of the two belt holding titlists in the division, they would be in a far greater position to negotiate with Alvarez.
Provided Canelo temporally wanders from the division or stages his third match with GGG, Andrade vs Charlo would make one hell of a substitute fight. Let’s hope this meaningful bout receives some attention and serious consideration.
By: Bakari Simpson
