Charlo twins fight for shot at boxing history at Cosmopolitan

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, May 20, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Friends and acquaintances have spent lifetimes trying to come up with tricks to differentiate between identical twins Jermall Charlo and Jermell Charlo.

When the twins were growing up, some relied on the knowledge that Jermall, who’s one minute older, was more social. Jermell was more reserved.

That strategy ultimately failed and caused confusion, Jermell says, because he’d bust out of his introverted shell at the first sign of trouble.

“I was quiet but I was the one who would go get it,” Jermell said. “I would fight people in the streets first. I wanted to always fight first.”

Jermell’s childhood nature could serve him well in the biggest moment of his professional career when he and Jermall attempt to secure their place in boxing history at 6 p.m. Saturday night at the Cosmopolitan. On the Showtime-aired card, the Houston natives look to become the first set of twins to simultaneously hold championship belts in the same weight class.

Jermell (27-0, 12 KOs) fights first, facing John Jackson (22-2, 15 KOs) for the vacant WBC super welterweight title. Jermall (23-0, 18 KOs) directly follows with a defense of his IBF super welterweight belt against Austin Trout (32-2, 17 KOs).

“It’s something me and my brother never really thought about,” Jermall said. “We knew we were boxing and knew what we wanted boxing, but we thought I would be at his fight or he would be at my fight. We were going to be watching each other win world titles.”

Jermall and Jermell shadowboxed next to each other in the ring at Wednesday’s media workouts and joked through joint interviews. They’re enjoying doing everything together, even after a year where they’ve basked in their individuality.

They’re easier to tell apart these days. Jermall’s one-inch height advantage is more pronounced by his taller haircut.

They’ve also got their own teams around them. Jermell left trainer Ronnie Shields to join Derrick James’ stable in Dallas two fights ago while Jermall stayed put.

“I have to push myself because I was once with my brother every day,” Jermell said. “So my motivation and what pushed me every day in camp was to know that I’m not with my brother every day but I’m still in the same type of shape, even better or stronger.”

Jermell calls Jermall “a control freak” and thinks it bugs him that they haven’t sparred together in nearly a year. Jermall began frequently sending videos of his workouts to Jermell during this fight’s training camp.

“We’ve got different ways that we push each other,” Jermall said.

But Jermell says the videos have mostly annoyed him. He’s learned to ignore them.

“I’m like, ‘You think I’m sitting at home? You’re working out and I’m chilling on my couch?’” Jermell said.

Those are just typical sibling squabbles, though. Jermall and Jermell remain more likely to finish each other’s sentences than contest them.

They could never envision any real rift. Much like Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko, who held every major heavyweight championship for more than a decade, they won’t entertain the idea of fighting each other.

“I just know that I’ve got his back,” Jermell said. “So if anything ever were to happen or he moves up in weight, I’m going to get that belt that he released.”

It’s a scenario that already seems likely if the twins continue at their current pace of success.

Jermall is pleading for an eventual shot at Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and says he’s even willing to move from 154 to 160 pounds to make it happen. Jermell scoffed at the concept of shifting weight classes, and declared opponents would have to come to him.

For once, Jermall came off as the more bellicose of the two. But Jermall says it’s always been that way, disputing Jermell’s account that he always fought first.

“He just never knew,” Jermall said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.