By Rich Mancuso/ Sports Editor
One Charlo brother lost his title with a controversial unanimous decision and the other retained his with a unanimous decision Saturday evening at the Barclays Center. Jermell and Jermall Charlo highlighted the first of many FOX Sports/ PBC prime time boxing shows and leaves the question as to where do they go from here?
For sure these twins are hard to tell apart. They are marketable and the PBC put them in position to headline the last major boxing show of the year in New York. But they stunk up the joint from this perspective and most at ringside.
This was not the Charlo show. They are exciting, controversial, and yes they have talent. A disappointing crowd, 9,117, did not approve the Tony Harrison (28-2, 21 KO’s) 12-round unanimous decision and dethroning Jermell Charlo of the WBC Super Welterweight title.
Credit: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions
His twin, Jermall, remained undefeated (28-0, 21 KO’s) scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Matt Korobov, and that was not a Jermall Charlo finish for the WBC interim middleweight championship. Korobov was more aggressive and the judges scores 119-108 116-112, 116-112 should have been closer.
And of course, the Charlo brothers said they were dominant. Of course they were expected to win but they could not close the show with that Charlo Brother excitement. It was the first time these twins from Houston Texas highlighted a boxing card and you could have expected more.
Closing the show with knockouts would have been the normal. However, this night the twins got a split decision and whether they say it or not, it was not a great night for the Charlo brothers.
So where do we go from here? Jermell believed he won his fight and wants a rematch. That could be granted and surely FOX Sports with this new and lucrative venture with the PBC will reciprocate. Though, Jermell with a win could have put himself in position to challenge Jarrett Hurd to unify the titles.
Jermall, that’s the question. He could not finish Korobov who was a replacement opponent. There was something missing. Korobov, (27-2-13 KO’s) of Russia appeared to have the upper hand by being more aggressive. The last round was the only time Jermall was able to handle Korobov and the challenger looked like he was going down.
“I used everything that happened tonight as motivation in the 12th round,” Jermall said. “I haven’t been that far in a fight in a couple of years. It felt good to be in there, get hit and bang with someone. He was an experienced guy who will make me better.”
If this win sets up a mandatory with Canelo Alvarez, the WBC Middleweight champion, indeed Jermall Charlo will have to improve. You can’t hold back the punches and have to beware of the body punches that come from Alvarez who was victorious last weekend at Madison Square Garden and added a super middleweight championship to his resume.
“I still feel I’m the best in the world,” he said. I just need to prove it to the rest of the world.”And with brotherly love, he said about his twin, “I felt like Jermell made his fight harder than it was. I had a really tough opponent but he wasn’t better than me.”
Truth is, Jermall and Jermell had a tough night, It was not a good night and they can go home and review their options. Marketbale as these twins have become for the sport, it was not the anticipated outcome they expected.
Even from their post fight comments there was that lack of celebration. One title was lost and another was retained. The bigger opportunity on the horizon awaits Jermall. However, they may have lost some steam because this was not a knockout punch of a night from the Charlo brothers.
Jermell said, “They took that fight from me.” No, he took his opportunity away and should expect a rematch that he asked for. And, he wasn’t the aggressor.
The reality and they have to know, the Charlo Brothers did not have a good night.
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