Cash rules everything, doesn’t it? Even some of the most mentally strong individuals have buckled when giant wads of cash were thrown in their faces. Jermall Charlo, by and large, isn’t moved by millions of dollars. So, when Canelo Alvarez came arbitrarily knocking on his door earlier this year, the Houston native was bemused by his appearance.
Charlo has always wanted to get his hands on the Mexican star. The now 33-year-old believed that Alvarez was good but the aura of invincibility that surrounded him was nothing more than a facade. After years of listening to his audacious trash talk, Alvarez told Charlo to come prove it.
Ultimately, Charlo declined, despite being offered life-changing money. His reasoning was simple, Charlo felt there was an incredible amount of rust that infiltrated his game. With the middleweight champ opting to decline Alvarez’s offer, his brother, Jermell Charlo, stepped in while Jermall broke a two-and-a-half-year stint on the sidelines by handing Jose Benavidez Jr. a recent beatdown.
Alvarez, subsequently, took care of business against Jermell. Now, he’s sifting through a number of names for his next opponent. Ronnie Shields, Jermall’s trainer, isn’t going to beg Alvarez for his attention. Nevertheless, he is convinced that his fighter would make the perfect dance partner.
Like the rest of the super middleweight division, the elite of the weight class are waiting by the phone, hoping and praying that Alvarez gives them a ring. Shields would be mendacious if he came out and said a fight with Alvarez wasn’t important to his dominant fighter. However, Shields did acknowledge that the pound-for-pound star is the obvious shot-caller in this situation. And, like everyone else, he’s waiting to see if Alvarez gives Jermall another chance at proving that he isn’t as good as he says he is.
“I would hope that happens,” Shields told BoxingScene.com when asked if Jermall and Alvarez will meet in 2024. “Canelo chooses his opponents. It’s up to him.”