Jermall Charlo goes rogue, announces fight date with Canelo Alvarez on social media
Jermall Charlo returned to the boxing ring in November 2023 after a nearly two-and-a-half-year hiatus, defeating Jose Benavidez Jr. via unanimous decision. On Wednesday, the WBC middleweight champion took to Instagram to announce that he will not be away from the sport long, as he will face Canelo Alvarez in May 2024.
Michael Benson of talkSPORT shared a screenshot of the post, which simply read:
"Canelo fighting Jermall Charlo May 4"
Check out Michael Benson's tweet below:
There have been rumors that Charlo would be next in line to face Canelo, who signed a three-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions in 2023. The first bout on the contract came against Jermall's twin brother, Jermell Charlo, in September 2023, with Alvarez winning via unanimous decision.
Although nothing has been made official, earlier this week, the undisputed super middleweight champion revealed that his return would come on May 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also noted that the bout would come against an American opponent rather than a Mexican fighter.
Jermall Charlo walks back claims of facing Canelo Alvarez next
Just as quickly as he fueled the rumor that he will face Canelo Alvarez on May 4th, Jermall Charlo has seemingly shut it down. The WBC middleweight champion shared a video to Instagram hours after claiming he will face the super middleweight champion, claiming that he has not talked to Premier Boxing Champions founder and promoter Al Haymon since his last fight.
Michael Benson of talkSPORT shared the news, tweeting:
"‼️ Jermall Charlo has now declared that he’s not had any talks about fighting Canelo Alvarez next on May 4th: “I haven’t even talked to Al Haymon since I last fought. So everybody that keeps talking about, ‘You’re about to fight Canelo,’ - ain’t no confirmation.”"
Benson noted that Alvarez's options are swindling if Charlo is not the opponent, adding:
"Canelo Alvarez ruled out Jaime Munguia when he said his opponent on May 4th will be an American and now, unless he’s bluffing, Jermall Charlo has confirmed he’s not in talks either. That seemingly leaves Terence Crawford and David Benavidez… or could there be another curveball?"
Check out Michael Benson's tweets below:
Alvarez and Terence Crawford have both teased a matchup against one another. However, 'Bud' would have to come up three weight classes. Meanwhile, David Benavidez has angled for a bout with Canelo for several years as his mandatory WBC challenger.