Houston twins Jermall and Jermell Charlo now have title belts in common.
Houston’s Jermall and Jermell Charlo became the first twins to simultaneously hold world boxing titles in the same division (154 pounds) with wins Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Jermell Charlo started things off by claiming the previously vacant WBC super welterweight with a comeback knockout against John Jackson. Jermell trailed on all three judges’ scorecards entering the eighth round before scoring a TKO of Jackson.
Then Jermall Charlo successfully defended his IBF junior middleweight title against former belt holder Austin Trout with a unanimous 116-112, 116-112, 115-113 decision.
“It’s history. We did it,” Jermell said on the Showtime broadcast.
The brothers, Hastings High School graduates who celebrated their 26th birthday on Thursday, are extremely close. Jermall, who is a minute younger than his brother, watched from the locker room as Jermell claimed his first world title. Then Jermell quickly showered and changed after his fight so he could get ringside and watch his brother defend his belt.
“I want to thank God for allowing me and my twin brother to see this day, baby. History, baby,” Jermall said with his brother by his side. “It feels good. I knew my brother would get the job done. We belong at this level. And for us to get the attention we need from Canelo (Alvarez) and the greats out there, we need these titles, and we’re going to keep these titles.”
Jermall’s bout against Trout represented the stiffest competition he’d faced in his career, and he proved up to the challenge.
Jermall, who came to the ring with the Houston Oilers logo on his robe, kept Trout at bay with a strong right hand and managed to win several close rounds. He opened up a cut above Trout’s eye in the 10th round.
“It was a great experience. It was my first time going 12 rounds,” said Jermall, who is 24-0 with 18 knockouts.
Jermell (28-0, 13 KOs) struggled with Jackson but landed a big shot in the eighth round that stunned his opponent. A right hand wobbled Jackson, who turned his back and pawed at his eye, allowing Jermell to swoop in with a vicious left hook that put Jackson out on his feet and led to the referee’s stopping the fight.
“I was behind,” Jermell said. “He was boxing. He was moving around a lot. I had to get close. That was unexpected from him. I thought he’d come out to bang, come out to brawl. So I had to make an adjustment, and I did. I started getting closer. When he started settling down, that’s when I was able to open him up and catch him with the shot I needed.”
The only other twins in boxing history to hold world championships at the same time are Thailand’s Khaosai Galaxy and Khaokor Galaxy in the 1980s, but they were champions in different weight classes.
In the main event, Erislandy Lara — who trains in Houston with Jermall Charlo at Ronnie Shields’ Plex Gym — retained his WBA junior middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Vanes Martirosyan. The judges had it 116-111, 116-111, 115-112 for Lara.
Although the twins have vowed never to fight each other, Lara hasn’t ruled out the possibility of fighting one of them at 154 pounds to try to consolidate some of the junior middleweight/super welterweight titles.