Two For The Road, One For The Books As Charlos Make History

By Jake Donovan

No matter how they made it to this point, Jermall and Jermell Charlo still had to earn their way into the pages of boxing history. They both did so by overcoming the stiffest challenges of their respective careers barely an hour apart Saturday evening in Las Vegas.

A come-from-behind knockout win by Jermell Charlo over John Jackson came with the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight title at stake. The title win places the Charlos in the history books as the only set of boxing twins to simultaneously reign as champions in the same weight class.

Whether they could enjoy that distinction through the evening and into their next respective fights was dependent on Jermall turning back a brave effort from former titlist Austin Trout. The older twin – by one full minute – did just that, claiming hard-fought 12-round decision to retain his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title for the second time by scores of 115-113 (twice) and 116-112.

“We did it,” Jermell (28-0, 13KOs) said of he and his brother making history. “A lot of fighters don't come out of Houston and we did it.

“We've been boxing for all of these years and it had to happen.”

It not only happened, but in dramatic fashion for the crowd in attendance at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and viewers watching at home on Showtime. Charlo was made to look a bit one-dimensional for much of the night versus John Jackson, a second-generation boxer from U.S. Virgin Islands who is the son of famed former two-division champ Julian Jackson.

Earlier in the week, Charlo not only predicted a knockout of the son but that he’d have lit up his dad back in the day as well. Naturally, Jackson didn’t take too kindly to his father being insulted, vowing to shut his mouth in honor of the family name.

He did it by means other than through swift and blinding violence, the preferred method of victory for the elder Jackson back in his day as a fearsome one-hitter quitter in the 1980s and 1990s super welterweight and middleweight scene. Instead, the younger Jackson utilized lateral movement (which the crazy kids in press row mistook for running) to befuddle Charlo, whose inability to cut off the ring turned an anticipated fight into a one-sided boxing match.

Jackson was piling up rounds while Charlo could do little more than plow forward and hope to land a fight-altering bomb. The younger twin was never previously known for his punching power, but made significant technique changes since joining forces with Derrick James – who also trains rising welterweight contender Errol Spence – late last year.

The boxing part could use some revisiting, as Jackson was up 69-64 (six rounds to one) on all three scorecards through seven rounds.

Unfortunately for Jackson, there was plenty more time on the clock.

Sensing he was down, Charlo immediately took the fight to Jackson in round eight.

“I was behind,” Charlo admitted to Showtime’s Jim Grey after the fight. “He was boxing; he was moving around a lot. That was unexpected of him. I thought he was going to come out to brawl.  I had to make an adjustment and I did.”

A right hand left the islander frozen, clutching his eye in pain as he turned away. Because no foul had taken place nor did he take a knee, referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to let the action resume. Charlo charged in a defenseless Jackson, clipping him with a pair of left hand shots upstairs to send him pitching forward into a corner, at which point Weeks was forced to intervene at 0:51 of round eight.

“When he started slowing down, I was able to catch him with a shot,” insisted Charlo. “I knew that if he could have continued he could have come back so I had to hit him.”

It wasn’t the manner in which he’d hoped to win his first major title, but was grateful just for the moment to finally arrive. He was due a crack at then-titlist Carlos Molina, who was instead detained and ultimately deported just days before their planned March ’14 due to a warrant for an old charge that he eventually managed to get cleared from his record.

The legal resolution did nothing for the opportunity missed out by Charlo, who’s patiently waited for more than two years for his title shot to arrive. It took him more than seven rounds to figure out how to snatch the belt, but in the end managed to get the job done and in a highlight reel ending.

From there it was up to the older twin.

Jermall Charlo first claimed his belt in a 3rd round knockout of Cornelius Bundrage last September. Two months later came another mismatch as he toyed with Wilky Campfort in scoring a 4th round injury stoppage.

Despite being undefeated and the reigning titlist, Charlo was in against his toughest opponent to date in Trout, a former super welterweight champ riding a four-fight win streak.

Charlo did well with the veteran southpaw, racking up an early land and doing significant damage upstairs with his jab and long right hands. Armed with a top-shelf corner that includes Barry Hunter and Trout’s longtime cornerman Louis Burke, the 31-year old managed to put together a strong second half surge to make things very interesting – and perhaps even limit the Charlo’s celebration to barely an hour.

“Austin is a hell of a fighter.  He's a beast,” Charlo admitted after the fight. “This was my first time going 12, but it didn't matter because I knew I was in shape. My game plan was to execute with the jab.  I knew he was going to try to stop me, but that didn't happen. There's no way you can tame a lion.”

Trout came close, and certainly managed to tame Charlo’s right hand. The effort came specifically from Coach Hunter’s corner demands prior to the start of round nine. Rather than standing within punching range and trying to outbox the taller foe at close quarters, Trout offered subtle movement while finding a home for his straight left hand.

He seemed to have also found his way to rounds on the judges’ scorecards, with most viewers who revealed their scores through social media had the New Mexican claiming the majority of the final six rounds. The early hole he dug, however, was far too insurmountable to deny history – a theme with which he was reminded throughout the promotion, and perhaps even at the end of their bout. 

"Hat's off to Jermall Charlo.  He fought a hell of a fight," Trout said. "I felt like I did enough to win.  They won't give me a close decision, so it's time to start taking these cats out.  But I can't make excuses.  I fought my ass off, Charlo fought his ass off and hats off to him.”

Charlo had plenty of incentive, watching his “younger” brother take care of business to set the early tone.

“It felt good because I knew my brother would get the job done.” Charlo insisted afterward. “We belong on this level. We need these titles to get the big fights and we're going to keep these titles to keep rising.”

There was pre-fight talk of Jermall rising to the 160-pound division but those days can wait as far as the Houston native is concerned. Now that he made history with his brother, he’d also like to rule the division with his sibling as well.

“I changed my mind,” Charlo declared in opting against a move up in weight. “We're going to stay right here (at 154). Making 154 pounds wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be.”

Both brothers will have to do it again at least one more time in order to retain their respective titles. Jermall is obligated to next face unbeaten mandatory challenger Julian “J-Rock” Williams, who was in attendance and didn’t have any kind words for the winner and still champ.

Still, his hard feelings were limited to a brief interview. The same cannot be said for Charles Hatley, Jermell’s mandatory challenger who – along with his new promoter Don King – showed their proverbial asses for all of the boxing universe to see. Hatley made a point to disrupt Jermall’s post-fight interview, shoving the unbeaten titlist at one point before having to be restrained and separated.

The sequence looked as foolish as it was classic, as it was clear that they mistook Jermall for Jermell, their actual next opponent.

It also briefly had the elder Charlo losing his head and ready to run the fringe contender out of the ring before settling down and once again soaking in an historic moment for his family.

Most rewarding was that they were given the chance to earn it and prove their worth atop a suddenly wide open super welterweight division.

“It wasn't a struggle,” said Charlo of the night. “It was a great experience.”

One for the history books, in fact.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE 

In addition to their historic moment achieved, the Charlos remain in near-exclusive company as just the third set of twins to simultaneously hold separate titles 

The other two occasions involved siblings whose reigns came one weight class apart - separated by just three pounds. 

Khaosai and Kaokor Galaxy were the first to turn the trick, although their respective title reigns couldn't have been in starker contrast. 

Khaosai Galaxy is recognized as arguably the greatest super flyweight in boxing history. making a division record 19 successful defenses in a reign that lasted seven years through his retirement in 1991. His twin brother Kaokor held a bantamweight belt for just three months from May '88 to August '88 - but long enough for the siblings to make history as the first set of twins to simultaneously reign as champs. 

Interestingly, Kaokor's upset win over Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. came on a night where Khaosai - four years into his title reign - participated in a non-title fight earlier on the show. 

With that tidbit, the Garcia twins made history of a different kind. 

Ramon and Raul Garcia became the first ever twins to win their respective belts on the same show, doing so on April 30, 2011. Ramon - previously an interim titlist - won a junior flyweight belt in a rematch win over Jesus Geles, avenging a loss less than three months prior.  The same show saw Raul cash in his interim strawweight title for the real thing, winning the full version with a 3rd round knockout of Rommel Ansejo. 

Each lost their respective titles in their very first defense. Raul's reign lasted less than four months, suffering a 12-round split decision defeat to Moises Fuentes in Aug. '11. Ramon bowed out from the title picture in a far more decisive unanimous decision defeat in Oct. '11  to Donnie Nietes, previously a strawweight champ who not only still holds the junior flyweight strap, but attempts his 9th defense on May 28 - versus Raul Garcia. 

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Follow his shiny new Twitter account: @JakeNDaBox_v2