By Jeff Aronow: Unified junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo says he doesn’t want fans mad at him if he “sleeps” WBO 154-lb champion Brian Castano early this Saturday, May 14th, in their rematch for the undisputed championship on Showtime.
Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) realizes that boxing fans want to see a long fight with lots of action, but he has no interest in letting Castano (17-0-2, 12 KOs) hang around when the two meet for their rematch at the Dignity Health Park in Carson, California.
The last time the two champions were last July in a fight that was scored a 12-round draw in San Antonio, Texas. Most boxing fans believe Charlo, 31, was given a gift draw by the Texas judges, and the decision didn’t sit right with many people.
In the rematch, Jermell wants to take the judges out of the equation entirely by knocking out the tough Argentinian Castano.
If Jermell lets Castano get his high-volume offense cranked up like last time, it could prove difficult for him to get the knockout.
Although Castano, 32, isn’t known for his power, just the sheer number of shots that he landed on the head of Charlo seemed to wear him down and weaken him in the championship rounds last July.
Jermell wants to KO Castano
“I’m going to make some improvements, and he’s going to make some improvements. I’m excited to be in there again,” said Jermell Charlo to Fight Hub TV on his fight this Saturday night against Brian Castano.
“I want to do it again; I’m ready to go,” Jermell continued. “I want to get the f*** knockout. I want to knock this mother f**** out.”
It might be a mistake for Charlo to be putting so much focus on trying to get a knockout because he’s going to put himself in a position where he gets hit a lot by Castano.
The last time they fought, Jermell loaded up on every shot he threw in the fight and made him vulnerable to Castano’s counters.
“I’m the 154-pound champion, and I’ve been the 154-lb champion because I’ve been knocking mother f**** out,” said Jermell. “Now I’m going back to that.
“Sometimes my lower back gets a little crazy on me. I have back spasms and all this kind of stuff, but I don’t make excuses for nothing. So that’s why I don’t speak on anything.
“That’s why I’m going into this fight and I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy. I’m ready to go, and I feel really good right now.
“I feel like I’ve done things that I didn’t do the last time [against Castano] that I’m producing right now for my body to be the best Jermell Charlo against Brian Castano on May 14th.
“I feel like may the best man win, but I’m going for the kill. A little bit of that [training issues], and it added up to where it wasn’t the best night for me [in the first fight with Castano],” said Charlo.
Charlo says he’s gotten stronger
“I didn’t have my best night; I got a draw,” said Charlo. “I’m not worried about losing an O because I’ve already been down that road before. So now it’s about me stepping up into the ring to be the Jermell Charlo that I know I should be.
“I possess a different type of talent, be very talented, be very athletic and smart. With just that alone, he [Castano] can’t f*** with me. I don’t know, man. I want to get him out of there early. Do you know what I’m saying?
“If I sleep him early, don’t be mad at me. I want to entertain y’all, but I got to get this man out of there. I don’t know what they hyped him up on. I don’t know what they’re telling him. Everyone has boosted him. Nah, man, you’re f**** up.
“That’s f**** him up. Mentally, he don’t understand. So while they’re boosting him up, I’m boosting me up. I’m much stronger now, and I’m already fast. I’m a boxer, I shouldn’t be moving like that.
“I’m very athletic, I know I am. I’m ready to fight Brian Castano. Brian Castano, you better be ready. Keep your mother f*** hands up because I’m coming in throwing that s***.
“You want to throw fast and throw a lot; I’m going to throw fast and throw a lot too. Let’s see if you can hang with that. We got [Sebastian] Fundora, we got [Tim] Tszyu, we got some mother f****, we got the IBF mandatory, and we got a lot of people,” said Jermell on the contenders waiting in line to challenge him for his three 154-lb titles.
“So, we’re going to see what the best decision for me to take. I know, I might have to do the IBF. I’m busy, I’m busy. I told y’all, I’m busy too. Those mother f**** are busy, and I’m busy,” said Jermell.
Charlo sets limits
“Not in my eyes,” said Jermell when asked if it’s realistic that he could face Errol Spence Jr when he moves up to 154. “I don’t see me fighting my own brother, my own stablemate.
“My mother told me, never fight my twin brother, and I’m never going to get in there and fight somebody that I consider as my own brother.
“But if the money is right, as Errol said, and there over there giving us some crazy, crazy amount of dollars, we might as well take it and have a good sparring session with one another.
“I just don’t see myself punching with all my strength and all my workability trying to punch on somebody that I’ve got a passion and love for, do you know what I’m saying?
“It’s like somebody that helps me get ready for my fights, and we share the same trainer. That’s somebody that I look up to. Errol is like a big brother to me as well, do you know what I’m saying?
“It’s a big dog in the game, and I can’t see myself fighting him. But there’s other mother f**** out there that need to get beat up.
“I don’t know s*** about Jaime Munguia. I know he’s managed by De La Hoya. The s*** don’t matter to me. He’s off the radar.
“Get your s*** together because there are some champions out there that want to fight before it’s over with. Come on, the Charlos want to fight anybody,” said Jermell.
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