Undisputedly a great fight between Charlo and Castaño ends in a draw

WBC Press

All four belts in the super welterweight division were there for the taking at the AT&T Center in Houston Texas, but after 12 rounds of strategy and then igniting ferocity Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano, fought to a split decision draw and will have to do it all over again!

A cautious first round, with both fighters feinting and being careful not to make a costly early mistake. Shorter, stocky Brian, holding his gloves high, making himself a difficult target. As round two started, Jermell nodded, resolving events needed to gather pace and so they did. Brian moved forward, trying to cut the distance, and walked into a cracking counter left hook which hurt him and fireworks ensued, with Brian also absorbing a smarting right hook to the face.

The third appeared milder, until the last fifteen seconds, when Brian connected with a massive left hook which wobbled Jermell, buckling his knees. in the fourth both opened up, swapping big right hands. Brian was pressuring Jermell, who found himself with his back to the ropes. in the fifth Jermell was measuring the Argentine with a left-right combination, regaining middle range, until Brian again landed a big left hook to the face and both traded heavy punches up to the bell.

In the sixth Jermell tried to retain the center of the ring. This appeared to be working until he got wobbled by a big right and then a bigger left hook and he was back against the ropes with Brian unloading. To stem this Jermell speared him with left jabs.

The cheerful Argentine fighter dominated the first half of the match with his chunky strength and aggression. Jermell, who`d felt the power was cautious, rather than hesitant, but he and his corner realized that he was behind on the scorecards and needed to appreciably up the tempo, by utilizing his tremendous explosive power.

In the seventh Jermell was jabbing effectively, and then Brian landed two left hooks flush to the head and an accurate right, forcing Jermell back onto the ropes. He himself landed a venomous right only to be caught by the same punch, and so he fought back with gusto.

Jermell needed to do something to regain the momentum. In the tenth, it came, as he launched a massive onslaught. Stung by a left hook from Brian he backed Brian onto the ropes and landed a cascade of power punches, badly hurting the South American. The Texas crowd rose to its feet as Brian soaked it up and tried to evade and escape the firestorm, laterally moving this way and that. The round ended with two big straight rights from Jermell and a smashing left hook. Brian was just one punch away from defeat, and he survived!

It`s evident that Brian hadn`t fully recovered from that pasting, and in the eleventh and he took time to regroup. Jermell pressured and fought flat out, trying to end it then and there, but Brian was able to withstand the heavy bombardment.

Referee Hector Afu, who`d been impeccable throughout, went to both corners before the start of the twelfth to remind both fighters, the next round was the final stanza in a truly epic fight. Jermell landed a left-right combination to the head and Brian retaliated with a big right hook, which was countered with another combination. Both opened up and slugged ferociously up to the final bell. What a fight!

Brian went to hug Jermell, who raised his right hand aloft. Jermell then went to Brian`s corner to smilingly embrace a fabulous opponent. World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman put a WBC T-shirt on Jermell and a WBC medal over Brian`s head.

Jermell won the tenth, eleventh and twelfth rounds on all three Judges` scorecards to even things up. Steve Weisfeld had it 114-113 for Brian. Nelson Vazquez 117-111 for Jermell and Tim Cheatham saw it as a 114-114 draw. This was a fight of two halves with Brian taking the initiative up to the halfway point and Jermell then seizing it back. It was a great contest and a definite candidate for Fight Of The Year.