JERMALL CHARLO defended his WBC middleweight title against Juan Macias Montiel at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday (June 19).
“I saw the crowd behind me, my city was behind me,” said Charlo, who was boxing in his hometown. “I put them on my back. Career high in punches thrown? I still have more to come.”
Montiel absorbed all those punches but Carlo was the winner on all three cards, 120-108, 119-109 and 118-109.
“It took a real warrior to get in the ring with me,” Charlo said. “He fought each and every round as hard as he could and I could tell by his eyes that he’s a true warrior from the beginning and he wanted to fight. It didn’t matter what I hit him with, he wanted more. I love that spirit. He’s going to be great.”
Montiel intends to come back. “I needed an opponent of this strength to show what I’m made of,” he reflected. “I know with this experience, later on down the line I will become a world champion. I love to fight. I know that I have the passion and I have what it takes to become world champion. I needed to go down this road.”
Charlo will remain at middleweight. He is targeting Gennady Golovkin, the formidable IBF champion. “160lbs is my weight division,” Charlo said. “I want to unify. I want to get Golovkin in the ring. I want to bring him to Houston. I want to get Canelo to come to Houston if he’ll come down to 160lbs. This is my weight division. I’m going to stay here and reign here. This is my fourth title defence and I have many more to come. I’m young. I’m hungry.”
