WBC Special Preview: #CaneloCharlo
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Super Middleweight World Championship
September 30, 2023 / Las Vegas, Nevada / T-Mobile Arena
SAÚL “Canelo” ÁLVAREZ (Mexico)
WBC Super Middleweight World Champion, 6th Title Defense
Age: 33 / Date of birth: July 18, 1990
Residence: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico / Birthplace: Juanacatlán, Jalisco, Mexico
Record: 59-2-2, 39 KOs / Total rounds: 472
World championship fights: 20-2-1, 11 KOs
Height: 5’8” – 173cm / Reach: 70.5” – 179cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager, trainer: Edison “Eddy” Reynoso
JERMELL “Iron Man” CHARLO (USA)
WBC Super Welterweight World Champion
Age: 33 / Date of birth: May 19, 1990
Residence: Houston, Texas / Birthplace: Lafayette, Louisiana
Record: 35-1-1, 19 KOs / Total rounds: 256
World championship fights: 7-1-1, 6 KOs
Height: 5’11” – 180cm / Reach: 73” – 185cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Al Haymon / Trainer: Derrick James
WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Ray Leonard (US) 1988 – 1990
2. Mauro Galvano (Italy) 1990 – 1992
3. Nigel Benn (GB) 1992 – 1996
4. Thulane Malinga (S. Afr) 1996
5. Vincenzo Nardiello (Ita) 1996
6. Robin Reid (GB) 1996 – 1997
7. Thulane Malinga (S. Afr) * 1997 – 1998
8. Richie Woodhall (GB) 1998 – 1999
9. Markus Beyer (Germany) 1999 – 2000
10. Glenn Catley (GB) 2000
11. Dingaan Thobela (S. Afr) 2000
12. Dave Hilton (Can) 2000
13. Eric Lucas (Can) 2001 – 2003
14. Markus Beyer (Germany) * 2003 – 2004
15. Danny Green (Australia) Interim 2003 – 2005
16. Cristian Sanavia (Italy) 2004
17. Markus Beyer (Germany) * 2004 – 2006
18. Mikkel Kessler (Den) 2006 – 2007
19. Joe Calzaghe (GB) 2007
20. Carl Froch (GB) 2008 – 2010
21. Mikkel Kessler (Den) * (Emeritus) 2010
22. Carl Froch (GB) * 2010 – 2011
23. Andre Ward (US) 2011 – 2012
24. Sakio Bika (Cameroon) 2013
25. Anthony Dirrell (US) 2014 – 2015
26. Badou Jack (Sweden-US) 2015 – 2017
27. David Benavidez (US) 2017 – 2018
28. Anthony Dirrell (US) * 2019
29. David Benavidez (US)* 2019 – 2020
30. Canelo Alvarez (Mexico) 2020 –
* Regained
WBC TOP 10 SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Ray Leonard (US)
2. Joe Calzaghe (GB)
3. Nigel Benn (GB)
4. Andre Ward (US)
5. Markus Beyer (Germany)
6. Carl Froch (GB)
7. Mikkel Kessler (Denmark)
8. Robin Reid (GB)
9. Danny Green (Australia)
10. Eric Lucas (Canada)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
25 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, five of whom have regained the title: Thulane Malinga (S. Africa), Markus Beyer two times (Germany), Carl Froch (GB), Anthony Dirrell (US), David Benavidez (US).
74 super middleweight world championships bouts have been sanctioned in WBC history.
MEMORABLE WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
Sep. 17, 2022 Canelo Alvarez W12 Gennady Golovkin – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 6, 2021 Canelo Alvarez TKO11 Caleb Plant – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 8, 2021 Canelo Alvarez TKO8 Billy Joe Saunders – Arlington, Texas
Dec. 19, 2020 Canelo Alvarez W12 Callum Smith – San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 23, 2019 Anthony Dirrell TW10 Avni Yildirim – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep. 28, 2019 David Benavidez KO9 Anthony Dirrell – Los Angeles, California
Feb. 23, 2019 Anthony Dirrell TW10 Avni Yildirim – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb. 17, 2018 David Benavidez W12 Ronald Gavril – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 8, 2017 David Benavidez W12 Ronald Gavril – Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan. 14, 2017 Badou Jack D12 James DeGale – Brooklyn, New York
Apr. 30, 2016 Badou Jack D12 Lucian Bute – Washington, D.C.
Sep. 9, 2015 Badou Jack W12 George Groves – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 24, 2015 Badou Jack W12 Anthony Dirrell – Chicago, Illinois
Aug. 16, 2014 Anthony Dirrell W12 Sakio Bika – Carson, California
Sep. 8, 2012 Andre Ward TKO10 Chad Dawson – Oakland, California
Dec. 17, 2011 Andre Ward W12 Carl Froch – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Nov. 27, 2010 Carl Froch W12 Arthur Abraham – Helsinki, Finland
Dec. 6, 2008 Carl Froch W12 Jean Pascal – Nottingham, England
Nov. 3, 2007 Joe Calzaghe w12 Mikkel Kessler – Cardiff, Wales
Oct. 14, 2006 Mikkel Kessler KO3 Markus Beyer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Mar. 12, 2005 Markus Beyer W12 Danny Green – Zwickau, Germany
Jul. 10, 2001 Eric Lucas KO7 Glenn Catley – Montreal, Quebec
Mar. 27, 198 Richie Woodhall W12 Thulani Malinga – Telford, England
May 3, 1997 Robin Reid W12 Henry Wharton – Manchester, England
Mar. 2, 1996 Thulani Malinga W12 Nigel Benn – Newcastle, England
Oct. 3, 1992 Nigel Benn TKO4 Mauro Galvano – Marino, Italy
Dec. 7, 1989 Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Roberto Duran – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 7, 1988 Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Donny Lalonde – Las Vegas, Nevada
Let it be me
By James Blears
Undisputed Champions Saul Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo historically stand together, on the edge of time, as their unique fight is poised to tip the balance to unparalleled greatness, at the T Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, on the last day of September.
In the formation of this seismic generational classic, residual mutual respect exits between them, but uncompromising statements of intent from two strong willed personalities have been blunt, forthright, and forthcoming. In abundance both possess channeled drive, get up and go coupled with burning ambition….and, it has to be said, a streak of mule like cussed single minded stubbornness.
It’s propelled and catapulted each of them to these rarefied heights. Jermell, who took up the challenge in the stead of older twin brother Jermall, while he’s been sorting himself out, is audaciously jumping up two divisions, casting aside and discarding a spell of inactivity due to a double fracture of his left hand.
Jermell is raring to fight Canelo for the super-middleweight crown. This will undoubtedly make him a very rich man, but pride rather than jackpot lucre is the core and the cure. He boldly states : “Canelo will soon witness the power, strategy and ring control that I command. This won’t be a cake walk for either of us. I’m ready to bring the fiery Texan spirit. Boxing is my passion. I’ll ensure the fans get a stellar show.”
Canelo is utterly determined to make a ten gallon style point at the end of his fist. The Mexican responds to the Texan by tersely drawling: “You’ll see I’m the King of Boxing after the Charlo fight!”
By his standards Canelo hasn’t looked stellar recently. After winning the undisputed title in 2021, he moved up and chanced this arm at light-heavyweight, unsuccessfully this time, by losing to Dmitry Bivol, a UD win in the trilogy against Gennady Golovkin and then successful keyhole surgery to his left wrist before returning to his roots on home turf, to defeat England’s John Ryder. Canelo dropped the Londoner in the fifth but wasn’t able to apply the finishing touches, so it went on and on, extending to the full distance. Yet it would be a really serious mistake to underestimate Santos Saul Alvarez Barragan.
Years ago, several journalists doubted the wisdom of Jose Sulaiman’s foresight, when he predicted young Canelo would go far. They pouted and pointed out that this fair, freckled, skinny kid, looked as fragile as Bambi. Don Jose smilingly replied that he was basing his sure fire, unheeded, unheralded, clear headed prediction on the redhead, based upon sixty years plus of boxing experience. How right he turned out to be!
Even I myself saw the early indications of this potential to be realized, in 2009 when Canelo KO’d superbly conditioned Brazilian Jeferson Luis Goncalo in nine pulsating rounds, for the NABF welterweight title at Parque Xcaret in Cancun. Jefferson, who resembled Woody Strode, was physically impressive. A bastian rampart. So Canelo went to the body to break up, break down and demolish the foundations of Jeferson’s constitutional resistance. That accomplished, he switched upstairs to polish him off.
Back then the money was reasonable, but not yet sufficient to keep the wolf from the door. For this extravaganza, realizing the fruits of their labors and the culmination of their careers, Canelo and Jermell will earn every red cent and copper penny of their gigantic take home purses. Yet herein lies the temptation to carry on for too long in boxing. Never again in a lifetime, will either be able to garner the king’s ransoms, available in the here and now.
Timing and its exquisite judgment is as crucial as it is cruel, and there’s a heavy degenerative price to be paid for the heedless, who linger too long and refuse to budge or bade farewell to this this seductively pungent but singularly unforgiving profession. Timing in boxing and in life is everything. It gathers pace, waits for no man and passes swiftly, ruthlessly plus stealthily.
Although Jermell is the taller, standing at six feet with a seventy three inches reach compared to Canelo’s compact five feet eight inches height with a seventy and a half inches reach, Jermell is considered the smaller man. Canelo is more stocky and has grown into the super-middleweight frame. Jermell is gaining the poundage. But for most of his career in the words of Papillion to his jailer Warden Barrot in solitary, on Isle St Laurent: “I was born skinny.”
Canelo turned pro in 2005 and Jermell two years later. So both are vastly experienced. Canelo’s record is 59-2-2, 39 KO. Jermell’s is 35-1-1, 19 KO’s. Both and each are thirty three years old.
No matter how he prepares and in spite of the best laid plans plus strategy and sparring, Jermell will have never been hit so constantly, conclusively and consistently hard in his entire life, as when he encounters Canelo. Under fire will test him and just how he’ll respond. Steady and certainly not windy! Canelo’s aim will be to deliver a dose of salts, by drilling and undermining the slats and liver of Jermell’s long lean body, in an impactful way. For this to come to pass, he needs to neutralize the Texan’s home on the range mobility and get inside that eagle wingspan reach.
Being the lighter fighter won’t necessarily be a disadvantage for Jermell. For their 1957 war, Carmen Basilio who was welterweight champion fought Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight title. With a superlative and supreme career best performance, he won a split decision. Before the fight a commentator had conscendingly put it to him that all but one boxing reporters polled, had predicted he would lose. Carmen who was a natural left hander, although he fought from a conventional stance, succinctly replied they were all wrong apart from the single one, who was right!
Six months later, Sugar Ray turned the tables with his own spite decision victory. On that occasion an uppercut ruptured blood vessels and from round six, Carmen was fighting with a tightly shut left eye. Eye watering even for an onion farmer! The fact he still made it desperately close, defines his sheer greatness.
It’s likely that that the quality of this fight between Canelo and Jermell will elicit a defining rematch. So many great ring rivalries do. Sticking my neck out while exposing my chin, I dare say it will!
As they say in the fight trade, everything is now set for this great fight. But that’s patently inaccurate and palpably untrue. There’s very little in this whole wide world as close as the bond uniting twins. The Charlo lads are each half of one, rather than two separate siblings, but… they’re currently estranged and so we’re still missing the final crucial piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Throughout their careers one Charlo brother has been ringside while the other has fought, cheering his twin on. Inspiring while the other is perspiring.
Boys, wherever you are right now, please listen to the song: “Let it be me,” sung by the Everly brothers Phil and Don. God knows they had their problems, but together they found a way to resolve them and get back together. The salt water tears will flow and hopefully mingle to close, knit and heal the wounds. Salved, saved and resolved.
The heartfelt lyrics are timeless: “So never leave me lonely, say that you love me only and that you’ll always…let it be me.”
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