Jermall Charlo has heard plenty of people — including Sergiy Derevyanchenko himself — say that Derevyanchenko’s experience in top-level fights against Gennadiy Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs could be a difference maker when Charlo defends his WBC belt against the Ukrainian on Sept. 26.
But while Charlo (30-0, 22 KO) doesn’t discredit that experience or ability of Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KO), he sees something else plain and simple: Derevyanchenko lost both times.
“He lost both of those fights against Gennadiy Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs. Competitive or not, that’s what happened,” Charlo said Monday. “He’s a warrior, though, and I want him to be sharp so he can give me the best he can give me. This is going to be a real fight, just know that. I’m going to be super sharp. That’s the message I want to deliver to all of the other middleweights out there.”
The 30-year-old Charlo will inevitably have his performance compared to what Jacobs and GGG did against Derevyanchenko, and he’s aware of that fact, but not overly concerned about it.
“I thought I might need to out-perform Jacobs and Golovkin, but as long as I continue to be myself, I will get the victory and I’ll have my hand raised,” he said. “I’m smart, stronger and better than I used to be. Every fight is a different fight. I let my trainer do the studying and I’m just focused on what I have to do.”
Charlo also sees this as a fight where if he wins and performs well as he expects to do, he’ll perhaps be able to shake some doubters.
“After this fight, people are going to say that I’m a great fighter. I’m the best in the world. I know Sergiy feels that way, too,” said Charlo. “So we get to clash in the ring. I’m expecting a fight. I haven’t left the gym since February. I’ve been locked in. I wanted this opportunity to get in there and be me.”