Canelo to face Jermell Charlo, not brother Jermall

Canelo Alvarez will face one of the Charlo brothers on Sept. 30 in Las Vegas. But in a surprise announcement Friday, it will not be Jermall as everyone expected, but Jermell who will be his opponent in a battle of undisputed champions.

Alvarez announced the surprise switch Friday on his social media accounts. He is the undisputed super middleweight champion, while Jermell is the undisputed champion at super welterweight, meaning he will move up from 154 pounds to 168 pounds for this bout.

Sources told ESPN Deportes that Jermall Charlo, the WBC champion at 160 pounds, was the first option that Premier Boxing Champions offered to Alvarez. However, Jermall said he needed more time to get in shape because he has not fought since June 2021, when he scored a unanimous decision win over Juan Macias Montiel. Jermell raised his hand and pushed his twin brother aside to fight Alvarez.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said last month that Jermall's inactivity is due to mental health. He has never competed above 160 pounds.

Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO's), 33, became undisputed at 154 pounds when he defeated Brian Castano to add a fourth title in May 2022. He was supposed to be negotiating a big fight against Australian Tim Tszyu, but now will face boxing's biggest star for perhaps the biggest payday of his career.