If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
Jermell Charlo has put together the sort of career that will likely land him in the Hall of Fame. Big-time wins? Check. World title runs? Double check. Charlo has practically done it all in the junior middleweight division.
On September 30th, he'll hit the pause button on his 154-pound reign when he takes on Canelo Alvarez. Two weight classes and 14 pounds isn’t leaving the Houston native unnerved about his chances at pulling off the victory.
There’s a gigantic difference in the competition Charlo faced as a 154-pounder juxtaposed to not only a super middleweight but also one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
With the biggest challenge of his career staring him directly in the face, some are of the belief that Charlo must change things up in training camp. That notion, however, is both erroneous and laughable.
“You do the same thing you been doing,” said Charlo on Cigar Talk. “Just a different weight. You don’t change nothing.”
Familiarity and consistency are the keys to victory in Charlo's opinion. Who can blame him? During his run at 154 pounds, the 33-year-old has fought the same sort of fight over and over again. Of course, he’s made a few adjustments along the way.
During his first showdown against Brian Castano, Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) was forced to settle for a split decision draw. A few months later, however, he closed the show before the sound of the final bell. In 2018, Charlo swallowed the bitter pill of defeat when he took on Tony Harrison. A few months later, much like Castano, Charlo scored the stoppage win in their rematch.
It’s the work that the truculent champion has put in behind the scenes that has him confident that his training regimen will lead him to victory, regardless of the weight difference.
“You don’t go in there trying to do too much. You just gotta work your ass off and be dedicated.”