As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, IBF junior middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd is looking to clean out his entire division.
Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) wants to have a unification with WBA, IBO world champion Erislandy Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs) - and believes that a dominant win over Lara will lead to a unification with WBC champion Jermell Charlo (30-0, 15 KOs).
Last October, all three champions took part on a Showtime televised tripleheader - where they made defenses at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
In a very exciting contest, Hurd became the first man to stop Austin Trout, and Charlo blew away mandatory challenger Erickson Lubin in one round. In the main event, Lara dominated United States Olympian Terrell Gausha over twelve rounds.
While Hurd has been calling for Lara, the undefeated IBF champ has been targeted in a few interviews by Charlo.
“Charlo’s called me out a few times. That’s a megafight everyone wants to see, and it’s gonna happen,” Hurd said to Premier Boxing Champions.
“I want to unify against the man everyone considers to be the best and most feared in the division, and that’s Erislandy Lara. After I punish and maybe stop Lara like no one has before, that would make the Charlo fight even bigger.”
“My best attributes are not my jab, reach, size or right hand, but my composure, finding ways to win. Whatever happens, I know how to remain calm. I can take a shot and not show any effects, which breaks my opponents, mentally.”
Hurd's trainer, Ernesto Rodriguez, questioned the reasons behind Charlo not pushing forward to unify with Lara. At one time Charlo and Lara were both trained by Ronnie Shields, but Charlo left several fights ago is now handled by Derrick James.
The current plan, says Rodriguez, is to batter Lara into submission and then place a target on Charlo.
“Charlo’s had the opportunity to fight Lara, but for whatever reason, friends or not, they haven’t fought,” said Rodriguez. “Trout wasn’t the mandatory: Jarrett asked [the IBF] for an exception to fight him in order to make a statement. So now, we’ll punish Lara if not, knock him out, and then Charlo can be next in line.”