Charlo brothers on same Las Vegas card in twin title bouts
LAS VEGAS — They’re separated by one minute and one letter, but if unbeaten twin brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo have their way Saturday night, they’ll be bonded once more as fellow 154-pound world champions.
Jermall Charlo defends his International Boxing Federation light-middleweight belt against former champion Austin Trout and Jermell Charlo will fight John Jackson for the World Boxing Council version, a belt left vacant by the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Showtime-televised card from the Cosmopolitan is headlined by another 154-pound title fight pitting World Boxing Assn. champion Erislandy Lara of Cuba versus Glendale’s Vanes Martirosyan.
The bid by the Houston-based Charlos to become boxing’s first identical twins to simultaneously hold belts in the same division holds plenty of intrigue.
The twins celebrated their 26th birthdays Thursday. But they have their personality quirks.
Jermall Charlo, lef, looks for an opening during a bout against Wilky Campfort on Nov. 28, 2015, in Dallas.
Jermall, who is one minute older, resides in the Texas country, listens to ‘80s soul music and enjoys horse racing; Jermell is drawn to urban living, listens to hip-hop and is an NBA fanatic.
“We do different things, but we also have the same skills and the same power,” Jermall (23-0, 18 knockouts) told reporters this week. “We always thought that we would be winners and that we would be competing at the top level. Now it’s time to make history. We want to prove why we’re at the top….
“We’ve worked very hard to get here and we’re going to reign on this level.”
Ukrainian brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko both wore heavyweight belts from 2006 to 2012 and Mexico’s Juan Manuel and Rafael Marquez stood as featherweight and bantamweight champions, respectively, in 2003.
Jermell (27-0, 12 knockouts) will meet heavy-handed Jackson (20-2, 15 KOs), a Virgin Islands product and son of former two-division world-champion Julian Jackson.
Jermall’s meeting with Trout (30-2, 17 KOs) comes against fighter who has lost only to Lara and Canelo Alvarez and who has defeated Miguel Cotto. Trout has won four consecutive bouts since the Lara loss.
“This is everything I’ve wanted,” Jermall Charlo said. “This is my time, something I’ve got to go through and perform at my highest possible level. I’m the champion. Austin Trout? He’s just another fighter to me. I know he hasn’t been in the gym any longer than me for this fight.”
When Jermall said at Thursday’s news conference that he could knock out Trout, the former champion responded, “Everyone has dreams. No one has been able to knock me out. He thinks he’s a great man, a better man than Canelo or Lara? He’s tripping. I’m … his toughest test to date.”
With more than 30 Charlo family members expected to attend Saturday night, Jermell said his hope is to win his belt and return to sit and watch his brother keep his.
“Everything in our life has been done together,” Jermell said. “What happened was my brother was like, ‘I want it all, let’s go get it, the both of us.’”
Jermell Charlo, left, trades punches with Mario Lozano during a bout on Dec. 13, 2014, in Las Vegas.
Jermall won his belt in September with a third-round technical knockout of veteran Cornelius Bundrage. And Jermall said he has fought on the same card as his brother so routinely that he’s not expecting it to be a pre-fight distraction despite the magnitude of Saturday’s bout.
“We always wanted to take our talents to a higher level and wanted to be the best boxers in the business, and it’s something that’s fallen into place through now,” Jermall said. “I love my brother’s chances in this fight. All he has to do is fight the way he’s planned to do.”
Jermell opted last year to leave the side of his brother and veteran trainer Ronnie Shields to join trainer Derrick James.
“It’s been an adjustment,” Jermell said. “I’ve been able to define who I am and my brother is able to do his thing. What pushed me so much in camp was knowing that I’m not with my brother every day, but I’m still in the same shape, even better and stronger.
“This is history in the making.”
Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter: @latimespugmire
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