By Boxing Bob Newman
Embattled WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo made a surprise appearance at the 53rd annual NABF convention in Orlando, Florida. Thursday evening. Charlo spoke about his absence from the ring, his plans to return, the changes he’s making in his life and who has been helping him, as well as his estrangement from his twin brother, Jermell.
_
Very candid responses from Jermall. I wasn’t a fan before but I am now after this interview.
Way to keep it real champ, take care of yourself and family first. Everything else is secondary.
Im glad hes feeling better but this new gen of fighter seem to focus too much on their mental health. Its more proof that older fighters wouldve crushed em in the late rounds & rematches.
Maybe you’re right about that; but I think it’s also proof that fighters of today may end up being around longer and being able to enjoy their lives and their families longer.
Correct, if you claim the WBC world middleweight title yet don’t defend it in 2 and a quarter years and counting…you will indeed end up being around longer – nevermind the other boxers wasting away their careers waiting for this idiot to s@#t or get off the pot
Well your problem isn’t with Charlo at all. If he weren’t champion and decided he to take two years off to deal with his problems, you probably wouldn’t care at all. Your problem is with the WBC for letting him remain champion despite such inactivity.
Max schmeling who was heavy weight champ and beat Joe Louis lived to 99 years. Jake lamotta who was a brawler and first man to beat Sugar Ray Robinson lived to95 years so some of those old fighters were doing something right.
You mention four fighters right there, two of them lived into their 90’s, the other two died in their 60’s and one of them, Louis, had severe mental problems at the end of his life. You can find exceptions to anything BigO, you know that.
I agree. The average sports fan has no idea of the amount of stress, dedication, & hard work it takes to be a professional athlete & to be a champion in a sport where there’s literally thousands of boxers that will never be at that level but there are some ready to take what u have. There are no guarantees on being Great!
I also agree. I think most of the protection of fighters in the ring has been covered with refs stopping fights much quicker, fights much less frequent, and more doctors and trainers stopping fights. But the mental is def. a important aspect. The fighter has to take certain measure to avoid pitfalls, stay intact and not self destruct before he or she even enters the ring.
Everyone here has had great points and they all factor in. We have recognized mental health issues more than ever and we have more help offered than ever before. A fighter lives and sees the world through a different pair of glasses. If these issues start to catch-up, it’s time to hang them up. SSRIs have a noticeable physical effect on athletes and not in a good way. Besides this has always been a young man’s sport. Get in, get paid, get belts(hopefully), and get out in one piece. A recent example is Andre Ward. 32 years old tops.
Yep and that is what’s most important in Life.. Less fighters with pugilistic dementia, alzheimer, parkinson, slurred speeches or in wheelchair..
It’s not just in boxing. In the NFL & other sports it’s the same thing. People were much tougher back in the day.
Look at how many fights Sugar Ray Robinson had and how frequently he fought. Another thing to consider is from an environmental POV. Our environment is doing a lot more damage to our bodies now than ever before. The food also is not the same. There is much less nutrition and much more pollutants in every single that we eat & drink.
There are a lot of boxers & NFL players that are either dead, punch drunk from head injuries, or just living sad unhealthy lives because they didn’t take time to assess their mental health or rest their bodies.
correct. I concur.
@jermallcharlo it’s that time my dude channel all of what you feeling into your fist and get it done, you about to lose everything you worked so hard for
Roy Jones, although a good fighter, is not a good trainer. He trains like he fought, and that’s unattainable for most present day fighters. However, Jermall has serious issues outside of the ring, and needs to get away from those things. I personally don’t think he can recover, unless he changes his company he keeps.
I’m glad Jermall is getting back on track. I like what he’s saying and he looks and sounds great. I wish him well and look forward for his return to the Ring. Stay ficus Jermall, you can do it!
The interviewer talked laymen. I had to stop watching mid way. What I can’t understand is why Jermall is being trained by Roy Jones? I guess he want to get knocked out in his next fight. Because Roy is not a World Reknown or Championship trainer.
While the Charlo brother’s can be a little hard to tolerate, one thing is for sure and that is their talent. IDK if it’s the fighter, his management or both, but they totally failed in getting the right fights at the right time for Jermall! Fights with GGG, Danny Jacobs and Munguia would’ve let us know where he truly was as a champion. Now all of that stuff is in the rear view mirror and getting this young man back to where he’s confident and loving life is more important! Hope to see you back in the ring soon Jermall!!
It’s a shame that every time a person, especially a fighter, mentions mental health, the public automatically labels them as “weak” or “unstable”.
We are human beings, EVERYONE has problems!
If the average guy goes to their 9 to 5 with heavy burdens on the brain, be it financially, marital, legal, ETC….. they’ll most likely have a crappy, unproductive, and unmotivated day. That’s just life!!!!
Now, if a fighter on the other hand gets in that ring with heavy burdens, he/she can lose their life or subtract many years from it!
So, it’s only right to do what you have to do to get your mind right!
Fighters in the past dealt with the same exact issue’s. As long as there’ve been people breathing, there’ve always been trials and tribulations! No one is exempt from the B.S!
For people to pretend like this is not an “everybody” issue is ridiculous! Sure, some are more extreme than others, but a problem is a problem no matter how you slice it!
The only reason it seems more prevalent today is because there’s less privacy. More cameras watching and more people detailing the daily play by play! It’s less taboo to open up about nowadays.
Stress, anxiety, fear, and depression are all human emotions. It happens to the best of us!
The key is to not let these things overtake and dictate our well-being. We need positive outlets. Health is wealth, but that doesn’t just pertain to our physical. Our spiritual, emotional, and mental health are all paramount!
Teddy said, a fire can either warm your home, or burn your entire house down. It all depends how we use it! Can we contain the fire, or do we allow the flames to burn out of control!
It’s not fair to compare men of old to the “men” of today because we live in an entire different atmosphere. Our current technology, parental guidance, education, work ethic, food, integrity, morals and values have transformed the human into a hybrid wayyyyyy below the godly standards of old!
We live in a demonic driven world where “entertainment” is purposely kept at a 6th grade level. America doesn’t want strong, God fearing men, they breed fragile, selfish, and prideful puppets. When you dance to the beat of the world you automatically become an accidental satanist if your not grounded in the truth of God.
NOT religion….. but the True and Living God (huge difference)
I pray you all allow your hearts to be softened and allow the laws of the Most High to dictate your every day lives. I pray you don’t submit to the ways of this world!
Brothers, let us REPENT, for the kingdom of God is at hand!!!!!!!!!!
Respectfully, humbly, and with love!
Peace and grace be multiplied to you!
Amén.
He looks & sounds like he’s in a much better place now. Taking time off in boxing is a GOOD thing. Sometimes our brains need time to heal. I hate to bring it up, but it hurts to see what boxing has done to James Toney.
Very true about Toney. My #1 inside fighter of all time. The list of damaged fighters is long. The only ones I’ve seen that were left unscathed have been Foreman, Chuvalo and Holmes. Im talking about a 20 year career like Toney’s.
You can do this champ, stay strong, God bless you.
Jermall Charlo needs to fight and win ASAP, because that could give him a significant amount of motivation and happiness that he obviously needs. The opponent for him should be carefully selected, avoiding Adames in the meantime. If he wins, a fight vs. Adames should be a hell of a fight.
It’s one thing to take time off. Fighters deal with a lot of adversity in the ring, but it’s time to man up. Our youth are fed mental health awareness like it’s ok to be weak minded. Boxers should know better because they have to put their mind to battling all sorts of demons in/out the ring. Don’t let the grind weaken you, keep pushing!
Be a promoters dream charlo vs charlo fight
Canelo offered JermAll, not JermEll the fight first. Why do you think he did that? Yes, while he’s down suffering from depression, and wife issues Canelo takes advantage of that. This is not the first time. But now look at why Canelo offered JermEll the fight. He’s coming from a smaller weight 154. Also when he fought Fielding, he knew this guy was a passing guy in boxing. Fielding lost recently and retired since. So we can see the type of situations Canelo likes when choosing a fight.
I hope he gets his life together first. I think he’s more mentally fragile than he makes out. I’d say he needs a top 20 guy in there soon just to get his confidence up. Then Munguia in Dec- January and if successful with no injuries maybe Canelo in Cinco De Mayo (provides he beats Mell).
I never was a big Charlo twins fan, but I am so so happy to see him clear headed and doing better. I’ve changed my position and really like Jermall, proud of him for getting things together. I hope he can stay clean and I believe he can.
Jarmall doesn’t have that killer look in his eyes, I know divorce is a bitch, been there, and drugs ease the pain but does nothing for your boxing career. I’m pulling for him.