Mike CoppingerESPNSep 29, 2023 7:40pm ET3 minutes read
Canelo and Charlo give their prediction for the fight on Saturday evening
Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo predict how the fight will turn out before they meet in the ring on Saturday night.
LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo both weighed in at 167.4 pounds on Friday, a day before they meet for Alvarez’s four 168-pound titles.
Alvarez, boxing’s top star, will make the third defense of his undisputed super middleweight championship in Las Vegas on Saturday, while Charlo will compete over 154 pounds for the first time.
Charlo, 33, is the undisputed junior middleweight champion but has gained 14 pounds, representing the biggest opportunity of his career.
Jermell wasn’t even Charlo’s original opponent. It was his twin brother Jermall who was scheduled to face Alvarez first. Jermall is the bigger Charlo and holds the WBC title at 160 pounds, but has not competed since June 2021 for personal reasons. So Jermell intervened.
“They look the same,” Alvarez, 33, told ESPN on Wednesday. “Same size, same everything. I don’t really care which Charlo brother it is.”
“I think he can handle the weight too because he’s taller,” added Alvarez, who is 5-foot-7 while Charlo is 6-foot-1. “He is strong. … I think.” [the extra weight] will be good for him. … Maybe he struggled to get to 154.”
Canelo Alvarez (left) will put his four super middleweight titles on the line against Jermell Charlo, who will compete above 154 pounds for the first time.Etienne Laurent/EPA
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) won the undisputed junior middleweight championship with a 10th-round knockout of Brian Castano in a rematch in May 2022. Their first fight was a draw.
Charlo was scheduled to make the first defense of his undisputed championship against Australian star Tim Tszyu in January, but Charlo withdrew after suffering a fractured left hand during training camp.
Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs), ESPN’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over John Ryder in May.