Jermall Charlo said he had an easier time with Sergiy Derevyanchenko than Gennady Golovkin did
- Jermall Charlo out-pointed Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Saturday, retaining his WBC middleweight championship in his toughest examination to date at 160-pounds.
- Elated with the result, Charlo is now targeting the very best fighters in his weight class.
- "The whole world understands that I can fight in there with the best of them," Charlo said.
- "I'm the best middleweight in the world."
The American middleweight Jermall Charlo scored a unanimous decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in boxing's biggest show of the pandemic era, and is now targeting the world's top 160-pounders.
It all went down at the behind-closed-doors Premier Boxing Champions event broadcast on Showtime pay-per-view at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Charlo earned scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112 from the ringside judges thanks to his assertive jab, resiliance to Derevyanchenko's game attacks, and his punch selection.
"He was tough, but I knew he was going to be tough," said Charlo after his third WBC middleweight championship bout.
"I knew he'd come to fight, I just didn't know how and when he'd try to turn it up. I felt like I never really let him turn it up and that was the game plan.
"I studied well and I didn't let the pandemic affect my training," he said. "I just want to keep fighting and not let any negative interrupt the positive.
"I stayed poised, I stayed composed, and I executed the game plan. I was staying behind the jab, I got away from it a little … I wanted to knock him out, but dominating like I did was a big statement.
"It was supposed to be one of the hardest fights of my career and we passed the test," he said.
The unbeaten 30-year-old posted wins over Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, and Julian Williams as a super welterweight but since moving into the middleweight division he has barely been tested.
Charlo passed his toughest test at middleweight
On Saturday, September 26, Charlo showed he has a winner's mentality to match his skillset, defeating Derevyanchenko who has given Gennady Golovkin (GGG) and Daniel Jacobs awkward examinations in recent years.
Now, Charlo's is targeting the very best fighters in his weight division.
"The big fights are out there. I'm steady learning and growing and stepping up in competition.
"The whole world understands that I can fight in there with the best of them. [Derevyanchenko] gave GGG a harder test than he gave me so I think the levels showed.
"I'm the best middleweight in the world," he said. "I'm not an easy fight for anyone. As long as I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll get the fights I need and get the legacy that I always dreamed of."
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