It was always a goal of Jermell Charlo to not only face Canelo Alvarez but to also beat him. But, with Alvarez moving up as high as 175 pounds while Charlo remained at 154, those dreams appeared to be just that, a dream. And a far-fetched one at that.  

Still, Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) went about his business. He grabbed every world title in the junior middleweight division and once admitted that if he wanted, he could spend the entirety of his career there.

Matchups against Tim Tszyu and Brian Mendoza appeared to be inevitable. However, once an opportunity of a lifetime came knocking, Charlo answered.

On September 30th, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Houston native will officially move up in weight to challenge Alvarez for his undisputed status at 168 pounds. His ambitions have been applauded but for the first time in his career, Charlo will enter the ring as an underdog. Being doubted is cool with him. He simply believes he'll have more people to laugh at when he takes care of business. As for what will become of his reign at 154 pounds, don’t think for a single second that he’ll abandon his throne for good.

“Bout to shock the world (168),” said Charlo on his Instagram account. “Then I’m coming back to hold my throne at (154). I’m the king. Nothing will stop me.”

Although he’ll still be the man to beat at 154 pounds, Charlo will no longer be an undisputed champion when he does decide to make his way back down in weight. With the WBO revealing that they plan on stripping Charlo the moment the opening bell rings on September 30th, he’ll have to politely tap on the door of Tszyu and rip away his former title.

In addition to Tszyu, the 33-year-old also has another clear challenger waiting on him.

Terence Crawford, the newly crowned undisputed champion at 147 pounds, has made his feelings known that he wants to get his hands on him. Originally, Charlo paid no attention to the Omaha, Nebraska, native - claiming he was too small to compete with the big boys. Nevertheless, after watching Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) dismantle his good friend, Errol Spence Jr., Charlo is realizing that a date against the pound-for-pound star is likely in his near future. First things first, of course, the pair have things to do.

Charlo, obviously, has an upcoming showdown against Alvarez. Crawford, in the meanwhile, will likely have to prove that his first win against Spence was no fluke as the former champ revealed that he’ll enact his immediate rematch clause. If Crawford makes it consecutive victories, Charlo acknowledges that he’ll gladly step in and face the 35-year-old next.

“Mega fights from here on out. After my boy rematch, we can give the people what they want and make the Terence Crawford fight happen!!”