Jermell Charlo vs. The new kings of the 154 pounds: can they survive?

Jermall Charlo is back in the gym, training for his comeback and preparing to return to the ring in 2025.

Former undisputed junior middleweight champion Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) has been resting for the past 15 months after losing to IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound champion , Canelo Álvarez, by a wide margin of 12 rounds. unanimous decision in a no effort on September 30, 2023.

Fans on social media joke that Charlo, 34, spent the estimated $20 million paycheck he received from the Canelo fight. Charlo did not waste his entire earnings; He made the right decision to resume his career. Jermell can make a lot of money if he fights on one of Turki Al-Shiekh’s cards in Riyadh.

The 154-pound division has improved a lot in the last year since Charlo held four belts in that weight class, and it’s questionable if he can beat any of the top fighters now. He’s been out for too long, and there are more talented guys at the top now than there were when Jermell had belts.

It would be interesting for fans if Al-Shiekh offered Jermell a fight against one of these talents:

– Israel Madrimov
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Vergilio Ortiz Jr.
-Charles Conwell
– Bakhram Murtazaliev
– Sebastian Fundora
–Terence Crawford
– Xander Zayas
-Yoeniz Tellaz
–Tim Tszyu

If you’re Turki, the easiest fight to prepare for would be Jermell against IBF champion Murtazaliev. Crawford will not agree to fight Charlo unless he is offered a lot of money, perhaps more than what he received for his match against Madrimov on August 3.

Most of those fighters would beat the version of Jermell who lost to Canelo and struggled against Brian Castaño and Tony Harrison. Again, the 154-pound division changed and improved a lot. Charlo will turn 35 on May 19 and is not young by any weight class.

If Charlo returns, he’ll need to stay active instead of fighting once and then disappearing for a year. He had been fighting annually since 2020. He did not fight in 2024, resting after receiving a big payday against Canelo.