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By Thomas Gerbasi - Jermall Charlo is in Las Vegas to fight this week, but it’s not what it could have been. If not for an aborted March 8 title fight with Carlos Molina, the Houston native might have earned a spot on Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana undercard, putting his skills on display on what is likely to be the biggest Pay-Per-View event of 2014.
That’s not what’s happening though. Charlo will still see television time, but it’s tonight at the Hard Rock in an eight-round matchup with Mexico’s Norberto Gonzalez, a fighter with a decent record but who has lost three of his last five and two straight.
Welcome to boxing, where you usually make your own breaks with your fists, but occasionally those breaks are made for you before you even get a chance to put the gloves on.
The latter scenario was the case with Charlo – unbeaten, talented, and a 24-year-old whose nickname “The Future of Boxing,” may prove to be an apt one. Some were surprised when he found his way into an IBF title fight against Molina on the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo undercard, but few, if any, doubted his ability to win the fight.
But on March 4, Molina was arrested on an outstanding 2007 warrant for failing to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. Molina was granted bail but then wasn’t released when it was discovered that he was in the U.S. illegally. Not surprisingly, the case filled headlines, especially when the fight was canceled, but lost in the shuffle was Charlo. [Click Here To Read More]
That’s not what’s happening though. Charlo will still see television time, but it’s tonight at the Hard Rock in an eight-round matchup with Mexico’s Norberto Gonzalez, a fighter with a decent record but who has lost three of his last five and two straight.
Welcome to boxing, where you usually make your own breaks with your fists, but occasionally those breaks are made for you before you even get a chance to put the gloves on.
The latter scenario was the case with Charlo – unbeaten, talented, and a 24-year-old whose nickname “The Future of Boxing,” may prove to be an apt one. Some were surprised when he found his way into an IBF title fight against Molina on the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo undercard, but few, if any, doubted his ability to win the fight.
But on March 4, Molina was arrested on an outstanding 2007 warrant for failing to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. Molina was granted bail but then wasn’t released when it was discovered that he was in the U.S. illegally. Not surprisingly, the case filled headlines, especially when the fight was canceled, but lost in the shuffle was Charlo. [Click Here To Read More]
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