This weekend’s Lara vs Martirosyan card, set to feature five Top 10 Junior Middleweights in a world title triple-header, looks like an absolute doozy. The Las Vegas headliner looks pretty solid (catch our Lara vs Martirosyan Preview), but it’s the Charlo vs Trout and Charlo vs Johnson support contests that could well steal the show. Let’s get to it.
Charlo vs Trout
12 rounds, IBF Junior Middleweight Championship
Jermall Charlo, the twin brother of Jermell (below), will be defending his IBF world title against experienced ex-champ Austin Trout. It may be true that Charlo is the fresher fighter here who boasts the prettier record, but that’s no reason to count out Trout, a savvy boxer who should fancy his chances against a young, possibly overconfident fighter who is used to blasting away his dance partners early.
Don’t get me wrong, Charlo is a legitimate contender. But he hasn’t been matched against the greatest of opposition to date, winning the IBF title from an over-the-hill, small 154-pounder in Cornelius Bundrage last September, and defending it against a thoroughly overmatched Wilky Campfort three months later. Trout doesn’t make the headlines like he once did, but we all should all remember that this guy once bettered Miguel Cotto (Dec 2012), and, since his back-to-back defeats (to Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara) has rebounded with four wins over some not-too-shabby tune-ups. It’s worth noting that Trout is also a tricky southpaw.
Trout could well get pummeled to the canvas like most of Charlo’s victims, but has a decent chance of asking some serious questions here, and, maybe, bringing the upset. That might sound unlikely at first glance, but isn’t really when you consider Trout will be the best fighter – by some stretch – that Charlo has ever faced in the ring. Trout has been in some hard fights, but isn’t a has-been at 30-years-young. We’ll soon see.
Tale of the Tape
Jermall Charlo
- Record: 23-0, 18 KO / KO: 78% / Top 10 Ranking: No.5
- Age: 26 / Height: 6′ 0″ / Reach: 74″ / Stance: Orthodox
- Last 5: 5-0, 4 KO / Last 10: 10-0, 9 KO / Rounds Boxed: 93
- Winning Streak: 23 / Latest Win: Wilky Campfort (TKO 4)
- World Title Record: 2-0, 2 KO / World Titles Won: IBF (154 lbs)
Austin Trout:
- Record: 30-2, 17 KO / KO: 53% / Top 10 Ranking: No.2
- Age: 30 / Height: 5′ 10″ / Reach: 72″ / Stance: Southpaw
- Last 5: 4-1, 3 KO / Last 10: 8-2, 4 KO / Rounds Boxed: 203
- Winning Streak: 4 / Latest Win: Joey Hernandez (KO 6)
- World Title Record: 5-1, 1 KO / World Titles Won: WBA (154 lbs)
Charlo vs Jackson
12 rounds, WBC Junior Middleweight Championship
Jermell Charlo will be getting his first crack at a world title, that being the WBC variety, when he takes on a not-to-be-overlooked John Jackson. Going into this contest, which is anything but a mismatch, Charlo will quite rightly be the favorite. That said, Charlo, like his twin kin Jermall above, is still considered a strong prospect of sorts (given the brothers’ opposition levels so far), so who’s to really say a prime 27-year-old Jackson with an edge in power can’t ask a few telling questions of Charlo?
However, gun to my head, I’d go with Charlo via a clean-cut decision if only based on his slightly better career achievements. Charlo’s biggest outings have been against Demetrius Hopkins, Vanes Martirosyan (Lara’s challenger at the top of the bill), and Gabriel Rosado, which ended with Charlo’s hand raised. Jackson has come off second best against the two biggest names on his slate, losing a close battle against Willie Nelson, and was decked for the count against Andy Lee (who went on to capture the WBO strap). It should be noted that Jackson was ahead 39-36 with all three judges going into the 5th round that night, and had Lee down in the opener.
The pressure is on both fighters here, but all the more so for Charlo who has lofty expectations with the media and fight fans alike. Johnson isn’t in a must-win bout per se, but we can expect to see him on top form given a third career defeat would be fairly damaging; Jackson could do without a bunch more tune-up fights before securing another title shot, I’m sure. If Jackson were to look good in defeat, he’d of course have less of a hill to climb. Anyway, given both Jackson and Charlo are accurate, fluid boxers with high ring IQs, this should be a decent scrap.
Tale of the Tape
Jermell Charlo
- Record: 27-0, 12 KO / KO: 44% / Top 10 Ranking: No.4
- Age: 26 / Height: 5′ 11″ / Reach: 73″ / Stance: Orthodox
- Last 5: 5-0, 1 KO / Last 10: 10-0, 4 KO / Rounds Boxed: 173
- Winning Streak: 27 / Latest Win: Joachim Alcine (TKO 6)
- World Title Record: NA / World Titles Won: NA
John Jackson:
- Record: 20-2, 15 KO / KO: 68% / Top 10 Ranking: NA
- Age: 27 / Height: 6′ 0″ / Reach: 75″ / Stance: Orthodox
- Last 5: 4-1, 1 KO / Last 10: 8-2, 4 KO / Rounds Boxed: 98
- Winning Streak: 2 / Latest Win: Dennis Laurente (UD 10)
- World Title Record: NA / World Titles Won: NA
What’s your take on Charlo vs Trout and Charlo vs Jackson? Are there any surprises in store here for the A-sides, or will the Junior Middleweight division’s top-drawer double act do the business, leaving Las Vegas with two pieces of world glory?
