Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez has revealed he will face undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo on September 30 in Las Vegas.
Following a homecoming bout in Guadalajara, Mexico in which he decisioned a valiant John Ryder, Canelo has been strongly linked with two fights – defend his titles against David Benavidez at super-middleweight or rematch Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight.
Neither came good, and the pound-for-pound Mexican star recently made headlines for penning a three-fight deal with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions following a stint with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.
No fight was announced when the deal was made public, but there were strong rumours in boxing circles that WBC middleweight champion, Jermall Charlo, would be returning from a two-year hiatus and moving up a weight to challenge for the undisputed 168lbs title held by Canelo since 2021.
Instead, Canelo and PBC have announced that it will be his brother, Jermell, in the other corner. This Charlo knocked out Brian Carlos Castano in May of 2022 to become four-belt champion in the super welterweight ranks, and will be leap-frogging his identical twin, moving up two weights, to face Álvarez.
UNDISPUTED vs UNDISPUTED
🗓️ Sept. 30
📍Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/pAlSN5VszU— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) June 30, 2023
Jermell has a record of 35-1-1 in the sport, with 19 early finishes. He also avenged that sole decision loss to Tony Harrison by way of knockout. The story becomes less about inactivity now and more about how he’ll handle the weight gain – although he’s clearly confident, having previously declared on social media ‘that b***h can’t beat me.’
It’s not yet clear if there is a catchweight or rehydration clause in the contract – something Canelo has employed in the past.
Whilst more details about the event – billed undisputed vs undisputed – and any repercussions are yet to be made official, the fight will be a Showtime PPV.