9.6.23 - JR Interview with Jermell Charlo

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That's betterhelp.com slash positive. So the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. We got a big fight going down Las Vegas, September 30th T-Mobile Arena. We got Undisputed versus Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion All Abouts. Super Middleweight Champion All Abouts.

Right now, we're being joined by Houston's own Jermell Charlo. Gonna take on Canelo Alvarez. Jermell, how you doing, man? I feel good. Chilling. Excited.

Ready to go. You got this fight coming up on September 30th. It seems like a very long time that folks have been waiting on this fight for you to get into a stage like this. What's taken so long for you to be elevated to a stage?

35-1-1. You're smart. You got power.

You got a combination. What's taken so long to get an opportunity like this? Just everybody moved differently in the weight class, so I don't know what it could be, you know? And timing is everything. I can't control it. I just got to keep fighting and enjoy what I do and want to make a name for myself. When people look at what this fight could mean specifically for you, trying to get into the ranks of Tommy Hitman Hearns, Sugar Ray jumping up from two weight classes to go ahead and snatch up those belts, that's exclusive, elusive company right there in and of itself. A lot of people talk about you jumping up weight classes, but you're actually the taller fighter.

You got more of a reach. Do you think people aren't paying attention to your size advantage in that regard? It could be overlooked a little bit from the people, but I think Canelo is paying attention. He's seen me.

He knows my size advantage. To jump into being one of the all-time greats, it's the idea and wanting to, you know, be the best is one of the things I got to go through is Canelo, and so if that's the chance to risk, I got to do what I got to do. Jamel Charlo is joining us here, undisputed champion, the junior middleweight, the JR sport re-show on CBS Sports Radio. Canelo is a global superstar.

We're talking about in the names of Messi and Bape when you talk about the revenue and such that he generates, you have a following in and of yourself already with your work with Balenciaga. Have you thought about what this victory can lead to you outside of the boxing ring and what would be the next step after this fight? I thought about it. I thought about it, but I don't know if, you know, my mind hasn't, you know, it's just so tied in on training and wanting to win this fight and do it for my kids and my family. Canelo, yeah, he's a big generator, wanted to come out and support Mexico, and he does an awesome job when you travel and his PR team, everybody's great on the side, and so once I get this, this victory under my belt, I'll be able to pick and choose how I want to move and master things, and like I said, I'll do it for the culture. I'm doing it for our culture.

I'm doing it for the United States itself, and I hope this brings a different open eye to boxing and sports, period, and that's why I'm so excited about putting undisputed versus undisputed. There's a lot of people who have a misconception about you taking this fight versus your brother taking this fight, your twin. Clear that up for us.

What was the deal with that? Uh, no, I mean, my brother wasn't prepared or wasn't ready mentally, and he's been dealing with some issues, and when I got the phone call, they told me, you know, to let's go, and that's it. I'm ready, you know, and it ain't no turning opportunity like Canelo down. Jamel Charlo is joining us here at the JR Sport Brief Show, CBS Sports Radio taking on Canelo Alvarez September 30th T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. You work with an accomplished trainer in Derrick James. How has this camp been different?

How have you approached this camp differently than any others in the past? Um, you know, Derrick James accomplishments, I play a major part in that because of the fact that I'm his undisputed champion. I was his first world champion. Of course, he has Errol Spence who beat Ugas, and Derrick won 2020 last year, but we got one Guzman in Texas as well, which is another second coach, and I have a very, very solid team. Everybody got a different team, and so adding that up, you know, and working with Derrick and Derrick mastering is the idea of what he believed will win against Canelo, plus everyone else, and we all working together under, you know, the same banner.

It's helping us become, it's helping us feel way more confidence in the global effect of wanting to win this fight. There's going to be a lot of people who are going to see you for the first time in this mega fight. There's a lot of people that know you already. For people listening all over the country who aren't as familiar with you, and shout out to everybody listening on the loop in Houston, Texas, what can people expect to see from you in the ring if they've never seen you before?

It's to represent. They don't know, you know, what Lions only stands for and why. I consider myself a Lion. I'm smarter in the ring. I'm smart. I'm patient. I'm fast. I'm strong.

I got good lateral movement. It's not all about going for the kill every shot, so it's about setting up this victory, and like I said, I do it for the people in Houston. I do it for the city. I do it for the culture.

I do it for Louisiana and the whole surrounding south, you know what I mean? And they will get that genre from me while I'm fighting. Jermell Charlo joining us here at CBS Sports Radio, the JR Sport Brief Show. You talked about elevating boxing here in the United States of America.

You talked about being a face. We know what the big sports are here. It's the NFL getting ready to get underway.

It's the NBA getting ready to get popping next month. What has been that factor in regards to boxing here in the States? We know Mayweather was loved.

He was hated, but he was box office, and it's kind of been that low waiting for that next dude to step up. What's going to make it you? I can't put a time to that. I mean, I really can't. I don't know how to really answer that because I know that boxing is a sport that doesn't have a season.

We're year-round with this. So it's in competition with other combat sports like MMA. And so boxing will never die because Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest fighters of our time. And he put a lot in boxing. And there's a lot of people that put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the sport. So it's going to be real impossible for people to say, okay, one person is the face of the sport. You'll hear that a lot, but that can't be one big face of the sport of boxing unless you can go to every class and meet everybody.

Roy Jones Jr., everybody have their era. And so that's what makes boxing interesting because you get to go and find out what fighter you like, what fighter is best benefit for you. And that's what's real cool about boxing. One fighter, you might not like him, but you might like this other fighter because one fighter don't throw enough punches or one fighter might be like Mike Tyson who go in for the kill, the knockout strong. You might got another fighter that got a good head movement.

You might like a fighter that just because of his lifestyle or wouldn't spin through in the past to overcome. So that's different from NFL. Those are union sports. And when you work underneath a big umbrella, they have different marketing, different promotion, and they have a lot of a bigger audience, more viewerships. So to just get out of there out of nowhere and just boom and make it and say, Hey, look, you know, a fight like Canelo is going to be that fight.

Not necessarily. I mean, Terence Crawford just won and beat Earl Spence, who was a golden child in boxing. So I'm just kind of trying to figure it all out just as well as the rest of the world. How do you become the face of sports, but the face of boxing, you know? So it's exciting. Jermell Charlo is here with us as we start to wrap things up. You mentioned Terence Crawford and the last time we saw him in a ring, we saw you outside of a ring. We saw him yapping at you. What's what's happened since then? Has that kind of chatted down or is that something we got to look forward to in the future?

It can slow down and pick back up. But you know, everything happens for a reason. Me and Terence Crawford, we both happy and want to feed our family and we can get in there and it wouldn't make a difference if Terence Crawford want to, you know, give me some more marketing as you get out that ring and climbing on the ropes and excited. I'm cool with that, you know, like, hey, you know why you're looking at me because I'm one of the best.

And that's how I view that. You're getting ready to take on another one of the best, a big one of the best in Canelo Alvarez. Tell everybody one more time why they need to check out this fight on Saturday, September 30th in Vegas on Showtime pay-per-view. It's an always don't blink situation and it's always entertaining and I bring very dope skills to the ring and I feel like I'm worth watching.

Where can people follow you along the way, brother? Follow me at Twin Charlo, Twin Charlo on Instagram, Charlo Boxing website. Check in with us at Charlo Boxing Academy in Houston. That's where we're getting it in at. I'd appreciate you, Jamel. All the best.

It's the JR Sportbree show here on CBS Sports Radio. Facts are facts, like how contributing to employees' financial security makes them want to work harder for their company. In fact, according to a 2023 study by Principal, 87% of employers say that better employee financial security means employees are more engaged and productive at work. The fact of the matter is that employees want to feel financially secure in their future.

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