Jermell Charlo believes the WBO has it in for him following a decision to strip him of his world title when he steps in the ring to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez.
The fight – contested for Canelo’s four belts at 168lbs – is billed as undisputed vs undisputed as Charlo currently holds all titles at 154.
That will change the moment he is announced in the ring, with the WBO deciding recently that the title will be stripped from Charlo at that point and given to Interim champ, Tim Tszyu.
Charlo told The Breakfast Club that it was ‘bulls**t.’
“Nah, I think it’s some bulls**t. What can I do? Just keep fighting.”
“The WBO – that organisation ever since I won a title they’ve been at my neck, you know? I had a hand injury and I had no other choice but to take time off and get my hand right.
Opportunities present themselves. I just think like they’ve been some haters on me.”
Charlo defended his decision to answer Canelo’s call, claiming if he had paused to ‘knock Tszyu out’ he may have missed a life-changing opportunity.
“I’m fighting for greatness. What’s the point of me going in there and knock the mandatory out first? Cause that’s what’s gonna happen to him anyway – he gonna get knocked the f**k out.
And then I’d have passed up that opportunity? Canelo would have probably already moved on and fought somebody else.”
It’s unclear what Charlo will do after the Canelo bout, or where he will stand with the rest of the sanctioning bodies in the super-welterweight division.
In the same interview, he expressed a desire to rematch Canelo – with the assumption that he wins the first fight, of course – before moving back down to accept a challenge from Terence Crawford.
First up is September 30, when he dares to be great against one of the sport’s elite fighters.