Charlo: I’m a legend

Lr Sho Fight Night Charlo Vs Castaño 2 Trappfotos May142022 6268
Photo: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

“This is legacy,” Jermell Charlo said in the ring after stopping Castaño in a rematch to become boxing’s first ever undisputed 154lb champion on Saturday night. “This is something that is legendary. I’m a legend. I knew Castaño was going to give it his all. I knew I had trained very, very hard but you all can see that I came in at 152 pounds because I was really in shape, and I wanted to make sure that this was my fight.

“I listened to my corner this time. I got in my bag around the seventh round. I started sitting down a little bit more instead of boxing so much and moving around. I saw that he was wearing down a little bit and I was breaking him down. I just saw my punches being more effective. I get stronger in the later rounds if they didn’t know.”

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    • Lots of fighters feel this way about themselves. Didn’t start nor will it end with him.
      After being the first undisputed at his division has now put him in that category………like it or not.

      • My point is that being considered a legend is normally bestowed on you by others i.e. it is arrogant to bestow it on yourself. I could not give a rat’s behind whether he or other boxers are arrogant, I was just responding to the article.

        • Ali self proclaimed himself to be the greatest fighter ever long before he even won any title.
          I’m no fan of Charlo, but I give props when they are due. There are people who actually know boxing and there are many that don’t know much and there are just fans……….and then we have the overwhelming haters.

          • After following boxing religiously for over 40 years I’ve probably learned a thing or two but clearly I’m not in your league. Btw Ali made that statement just before he won the title from Liston. I also give Charlo props but he is not a boxing legend.

          • I agree; “Legend” is a term that should be used for a select and very few. That said – as a boxing fan for a little less longer than you (30 years); it’s refreshing to see a guy that wants to be undisputed and is just that.

        • Nothing is bestowed on you …you earn it…This is America..the belief is work hard and earn everything from your efforts….Charlo worked hard…and is a unified Champion….Even if I don’t like his behavior at times…There is a reality to this ish…call it what you want…Charlo earned the belts and he is a champion

          • And he did something that legends do…collect all the belts…maybe not a legend but definitely legendary “like”

    • He can call himself whatever he wants he earned it the hard way. Guys call themselves the “greatest of all time” or “TBE”. The man made history and he is a damn “legend”. You sound like a total hater if Charlo calling himself a “legend” is your only take away from fight of the year candidate and historical event. Your problem is, the wrong guy won.

  • Did I miss something? Sounds like Jermell thinks he beat Carlos Monzon. Come on buddy, you have a ways to go before this legend BS. Al Haymon must have been in your ear. Mr soul glo himself

  • Just let thattttttt soul gloooooooo….through that greasy grey head!!! Mr Alfred Haymon

  • Charlo has a good “one-two” in his arsenal especially when he moves laterally to set it up. Great? Charlo is by no means a perfect fighter, but he does have some power, grittiness, and is very athletic. Charlo is simply riding on the confidence train right now still gloating in his win after a tough training camp. This fight was entertaining and had some great moments.

  • Good win for Charlo but I was left scratching my head when he was allowed to go after Castano without remaining in the neutral corner. And did anyone else notice how excited Mauro was at everything Charlo did in that ring? It reminded me of the old HBO days and the Andre Ward pompoms the broadcast crew always brought out for him.

    • You sound like you have an issue with black fighters your racist views are loud and clear you must hate football and basketball

      • Can’t have a decent discussion anymore without the old and worn race-card canard being regurgitated.

        • Acknowledgement Of ignorance hatred is empowering to some …during my many years learned to just ignore anything irrelevant…in other words…on this boxing site..if it is not about boxing …don’t give it any attention

      • No one said anything about black fighters. I believe someone said Charlo was arrogant- which he is.

    • I noticed the same thing with mauro. He would miss the straight right counter from Castano cheering the first punch from charlo. Abner Mares eventually jumped in to say Castano was landing a sneaky right.

  • True legends never self appoint. He will now be matched with tomato cans for the foreseeable future.

    • If he stays at 154, then here are the Tomato Cans he’s likely to face:

      Fundora
      Tszyu
      Crawford/Spence winner

      It’s alright to dislike what he says, but his approach has been to fight all comers. Anybody that says Andrade doesn’t understand the business of boxing. He’s a fighter who continues to overestimate his value.

      • Agree Fundora …ain’t no Tomato can…a young beast on the horizon…adding to it ,.Fundora had to come off the canvas against a dam good fighter …to win by KO… Don’t think you will see any Norman Rockwell Soup can painting with Fundora face on it…not now anyway…

      • So Crawford and Spence are “tomato cans.” Since when do “tomato cans” top the concensus pound for pound lists across the board? 147 is stacked and they have names of some guys who will likely make the Hall Of Fame (whether you think they deserve it or not). Spence and Crawford have wins over them. The problem for you is there isn’t anyone out there you root for that’s going to beat any of them but each other.

  • When you reach this level as a result of sacrifice and lifetime dedication to your craft you can wag your own tail as much as you like, you deserve that right (wagging builds persona).The humbling part will sink in down the road from the decent of achievement.

  • You can see he was trying to bask in the moment and didn’t know what to say. Stop being so critical. What would you say with a mike shoved in your face in that moment. He did do something legendary so that’s what he was trying to say. He did that

    • Finally a decent post… Those guys are rich super athletes and can stick up for themselves. In fact, they usually show up to fight cards ready to fight because they get so much hate.
      They still show good family life and live very well. Charlos confidence will attract scrutiny because most men think they did the right things, apply good manners and should have more. They cant stand guys who do things people say are bad and are still successful. You can look at the post and tell who they are. Sound like a bunch of ol women getting together.
      After Gatti made the International hall of fame I have no issue with Charlo calling himself legend.
      He’s undisputed so you cant dispute his claim.

  • Ive always thought both Charlos were underrated and never got full credit for their best wins.

    They’re both really good fighters. I don’t know about great but certainly very good.

    I don’t care for their outside the ring drama.

  • This is a great win for Charlo and more importantly becoming UNDISPUTED CHAMPION! Cmon folks, enough with the negativity especially when it involves race?! Let’s keep it in debating results! Charlo has basically fought everyone @54 unlike other champs! Looking forward to seeing Spence-Crawford for the next epic undisputed showdown!!!!!

    • I agree with everything you stated except, he didn’t fight everyone. Andrade had to move up because he couldn’t get a fight with either of the twins at 54. Congrats to Jermell on his accomplishment none the less. He should be ranked no lower than #5 on the Pound for Pound Rankings. If he retired now, he would be a Hall of Famer. I would like to see him fight Andrade if he chooses to move down or a trilogy with Tony Harrison. I trained with these young men since the Amatuer when they were 15 and 16 and with all of us going to the gym on the city bus they had the same bravado. To become an accomplished Boxer you have to have unshakable confidence in yourself even if no one else has. He’s the first Undisputed World Champion at 54 to hold 4 belts. When Winky Wright did it out was only 3.

    • Before Spence tangles with Crawford, he had to get past Ennis who won the IBF eliminator as the Co-Main. Ennis reminds me of Crawford. High boxing IQ, switch hits but he has more power. In all my time watching boxing, I’ve never witnessed a 147 pounder that strong. Don’t take him lightly.

      • Tommy Hearns? Ray Leonard? Tito Trinidad? …you newbies are hilarious. Walcott? Hammerin Hank Armstrong? Get a grip.Effin Ennis beata d fighter who quit. Pfft

      • The only thing he HAS to do is what the promoter says to do. Ennis is too big of a threat before a mega-fight with the Spence/Crawford winner. The sport has nothing to do with what’s right, only what brings in the most money for the greedy bastards on the sidelines.

  • So the man can’t think of himself as a legend after a great accomplishment in a sport he has dedicated his entire life to? Trump thinks he’s a legend and Putin already staged a victory rehearsal. What’s good for the goose has got to be good for the gander. Facts!

    • Trump? Putin? What are you on about? I’m quite certain neither of those two presidents have ever uttered the words ‘I am a legend’.
      Plus, how in the hell would you know anything that Putin is doing? Sounds a bit like racial undertones when you should probably just stick to the subject at hand. Huh?

  • Great win for Charlo and he showed a ton of skill and guts in there against a fine fighter in Castano. But as others have stated here, self-anointing yourself a legend is off-putting and doesn’t endear yourself to most people. Miguel Cotto is a legend because he beat great fighters and comported himself humbly and responsibly outside of the ring. Charlo is a great fighter no doubt but I’m not liking the braggadocio. Those who feel they have to say they’re a legend usually aren’t (Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins being the possible exceptions).

  • Oh Boy! Another legend in his own mind.. hahaha They say that pride cometh before a fall!

  • A legend in his own mind maybe. Number one, he has to fight more often than every 9 to 10 months to build a true legacy, unless he is fighting all-time greats every time out. To that point, he does not have ANY all-time greats on his resume currently. So no, he has not arrived at “legend” status yet. And at 31 years old, he is running out of time.

  • You have to have a certain attitude to get what he acheived!!! He is undisputed, and he did beat three good opponents in Rubin, Harrison, and Castano!!!

    • None of the three Charlo beat will make the HOF and I doubt Hayman will put him in the ring with anyone who will be in the HOF.

  • He did everything right, and got rewarded for this so good on him. Legend or not he is unified so he can have his time in the sun. Well done Charlo.

  • 2 things, first, not a legend, second ,Jason if everything is about race, that makes you the racist.

  • If you weren’t so in love with yourself you would be more likeable,,,a “Legend””….well you’ve got a long way to go to achieve that status Charlo, you are no where near the status of Sugars Robinson or Leonard,Hearns,Duran and so on!!!

  • The Age of Absurdity. Loudmouth Charlo declares himself a “legend” after proving that he can get himself supremely conditioned and knock out a man who leads with his head and his chin.

  • A lot of people are mad because Charlo won. Lets get it out there. Black excellence was on full display. He and Castano tore the house down. If the man wants to call himself a “legend” who gives a duck. If that is your only take away than obviously you’re a hater. He didn’t “run” he boxed, he traded and he stopped his opponent. Goes to show you. If you give the haters what they want they’ll still hate. Black excellence is what most of you hate to see but you can’t stop this. Stevenson, Spence, Crawford, Charlo…hell we’ll take Mr. “Black Russian” Bivol hahaha. He beat Canelo’s arse similar to how Canelo described black fighters as being the most difficult. Put that in your pipe an smoke it haha.

  • Charlo achieved his goal of becoming undisputed but that doesn’t make him a legend. Legends after they have achieved such an accomplishment go on to defend the titles against the best and most dangerous in the division.

    This is how true greatness is determined. Not running from the
    young lions and moving to a heavier division to fight less talented or weight drained champions. The same thing applies to Spence and Crawford once they get all the belts they have Ennis to deal with and everything after that.

    Once you have beaten all the real threats and cleaned out the division then you move up to challenge other fighters. This is how true greatness is achieved. Simply unifying is not enough you must defend against and defeat every real threat in your division. You must clean out your division. Like Marvin Hagler, Bernard Hopkins, Carlos Monzon, and every other great undisputed champ did it.

    Canelo, for example, is very good but he is not great because he has skipped over and avoided every real threat in the divisions he’s campaigned at. Benevidez, Charlo, Andrade are just some examples. Many of these fighters today are trying to take the easiest route to greatness. And that’s just not how it works.

  • I never said they didn’t get beat. But if they get beat they come back and avenge the losses. They also fight all credible threats in their divisions. They don’t run to higher weight classes to fight less skilled past their prime fighters for easier reward and then proclaim themselves great without actually proving it..

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