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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo will fight for Alvarez’s super middleweight championship Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a battle of undisputed champions.
Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) has all four major belts at 168 pounds, and Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) is the 154-pound undisputed champ. Charlo, who’s moving up two divisions, replaced his twin brother, Jermall, who was the original opponent for this bout but withdrew to address personal issues.
During a news conference at the MGM Grand on Wednesday, Alvarez said he felt Jermell Charlo doesn’t believe in his talent and he wants to prove him wrong.
“He never believed in my skills,” Alvarez said during the news conference. “He’s been calling me out. Now I have the opportunity to show him my skills. He’s going to feel it. It’s hard to explain it, but it’s just something different. He’s not used to being in there with a fighter like me.”
Charlo said he’s not taking Alvarez lightly but added Alvarez has never been in the ring with a fighter like him.
“I don’t think Canelo has faced a fighter of my caliber,” Charlo said. “He’s been in there with great fighters, but there’s something I bring to the table that’s a lot different than anyone he’s seen. I’m coming to win this fight, no matter what he says. We shall see Saturday. If he’s motivated to prove to me that he has skills, so be it. I’m coming to win.”
Follow along as Mike Coppinger recaps all the action in Las Vegas, including results and round-by-round analysis.