After vacating his 154-pound title earlier this year to move up in weight in pursuit of another world championship, Jermall Charlo showed just as much explosiveness in his debut at 160.
After vacating his 154-pound world title in February, unbeaten Jermall Charlo gained a fourth-round TKO of Jorge Sebastian Heiland on July 29 in a 160-pound title eliminator in Brooklyn, New York. (Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment)
Jermall Charlo dominated Jorge Sebastian Heiland at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on July 29, flooring the Argentine southpaw with a right hand in Round 2 before dropping him again with a left hook to gain a fourth-round TKO.
The victory in the 160-pound title eliminator made Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) the mandatory challenger for one of the world titles held by unbeaten Gennady Golovkin, who will defend his unified championship against Canelo Alvarez next month.
“I'm ready for anyone. I'm ready for whoever wants to fight me,” Charlo said. “Bring on the biggest names at 160. I'm the real Tommy Hearns. I feel it's my turn and I'm going to go get it.
“It’s a statement not just to Canelo and Triple G, but the whole division. I’m a young, hungry lion hunting down the best in the world. They can’t dodge me because I’ll chase and chase until I clean out the division.”
Charlo, 27, used his trademark jab and movement to neutralize Heiland and gain his 18th stoppage win in his last 20 fights. It was the Houston resident’s first fight since gaining an impressive fifth-round KO of previously unbeaten Julian Williams in December in his third and final 154-pound title defense.
“ It’s a statement not just to Canelo and Triple G, but the whole division. I’m a young, hungry lion hunting down the best in the world. They can’t dodge me because I’ll chase and chase until I clean out the division. ” Jermall Charlo, on his fourth-round TKO of Jorge Sebastian Heiland in his 160-pound debut
While the 6-foot Charlo would prefer to fight the Golovkin-Alvarez winner next, he also welcomes a matchup against the winner of next month’s 160-pound title fight between undefeated champion Billy Joe Saunders and Willie Monroe Jr.
“If Billy Joe Saunders or Willie Monroe are at the top of their game, I’ll go get them,” Charlo said. “None of them can beat me. I’m bigger, stronger, faster and here to fight anybody they say is the best.”
Charlo’s jab was a major weapon not only in his victories over Heiland and Williams, but also when he earned his 154-pound title with a third-round TKO of Cornelius Bundrage in September 2015 and then defended his championship for the first time with a fourth-round TKO of Wilky Campfort in November 2015.
“Jermall’s jab was an offensive and defensive weapon against Julian Williams, ‘K9’ Bundrage and ‘Silky’ Campfort,” said Charlo’s trainer, Ronnie Shields. “He dropped all three of them with a jab.”
Shields believes that Charlo’s potent jab and superior length would give him an advantage against either the 5-foot-10½ Golovkin or the 5-foot-9 Alvarez.
“Jermall’s long body helps to generate power like Tommy Hearns in his killer right hand, over the top or underneath,” Shields said. “We’re the mandatory, so we’ll wait and see, but I’m confident that Jermall beats Canelo or Triple G.”
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