The Eyes of Texas were certainly smiling down on us Lone Star Staters this Saturday. Starting off in the early afternoon as the Texas Longhorns football team overcame a two-touchdown deficit to come back and win in overtime, improving their record 2-0, and continuing on into the Charlo Brothers Doubleheader on Showtime Pay Per View. The three Texas champs on the card (Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo & Brandon Figuera) pulled off the Texas trifecta. Going 3-0 with two of those wins coming by knockout. All three fighters handed in what were, perhaps, career-best performances. There were plenty of great performances to choose from, however, it was the younger of the twin brothers, Jermell Charlo of Houston, who captures our Fighter of the Week award, knocking down fellow jr middleweight titleholder, Jeison Rosario, of the Dominican Republic, three times on his way to scoring an impressive 8th round knockout to improve his record to 34-1 (18) and unifying the WBA, IBF, & WBC Jr Middleweight belts.
Jermell Charlo walked into the ring with a laser-like focus. Knowing this was the biggest fight of his career and looking to set the tone early Charlo was circling around the ring and landed a wide left hook that landed on the temple of Jeison Rosario and sent him to the canvas. The stunned Rosario made it to his feet and made it through the round. Charlo kept moving and flicking out his jab, using the ring and keeping the big Dominican puncher at bay, taking the early rounds. The momentum started to shift in the fourth as Rosario was able to back the Texan up and punish him against the ropes taking the fourth and fifth rounds with his relentless pressure. In the sixth round, Rosario was having perhaps his best round hurting Charlo to the body. Just as Rosario looked like to be taking control of the fight, Charlo landed a blistering left-hook out of nowhere that dropped Rosario to one knee shortly before the round ended. Rosario beat the count moments before the bell rang and he still looked wobbly on the way to his corner. Rosario looked to stay away and clear his head in a fairly uneventful seventh round. Charlo came out a fired a jab at the head of his opponent and followed up with a jab to the midsection that sent Rosario to the canvas in excruciating pain and hopelessly unable to beat the count giving Charlo the eighth round KO victory. Following the fight, a victorious Charlo said “I definitely proved that I’m more than just a puncher, but I’m also a puncher,”
Jermell Charlo not long ago was viewed as the lesser Charlo brother. He now owns three-quarter of the Jr middleweight belts and is undoubtedly the man to beat at 154-pounds. Fortunately for fight fans, he fights on the right side of the promotional street. Scraps with former world champion Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd or a trilogy with Tony Harrison are all easily makeable and all parties seem eager to fight each other. A fight for undisputed supremacy with Brain Castano, if Castano can get by WBO champ Patrick Teixeira. the two are mandated by the sanctioning body to fight next would be the most likely fight. Jermell is not just the unified champ he’s the biggest draw in the division and is in a position where he can call his own shots and fight whoever he wants in the division. He also has the height and size to step up and follow in the footsteps of his older twin brother, Jermall, and look to become a two-division world champ by capturing a strap in the middleweight division.
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