May 17, 2024

Wilder vs Ortiz: Jermall Charlo to face Hugo Centeno Jr for interim belt

Jermall Charlo and Hugo Centeno Jr will fight for the interim WBC title.

The co-feature for Showtime’s March 3 card is set, as Jermall Charlo will take on Hugo Centeno Jr for the interim WBC middleweight title, in a case where an interim belt at least makes some sense, with Gennady Golovkin tied up in negotiations for a Canelo Alvarez rematch.

Charlo (26-0, 20 KO) is a former junior middleweight titleholder who moved up to 160 last July, stopping Jorge Sebastian Heiland in the fourth round. Heiland got hurt early in the fight, it’s worth noting, but Charlo’s work at 154 makes him look dangerous at 160 anyway.

Centeno (26-1, 14 KO) was seen as a very good prospect at 160 before losing to Maciej Sulecki in 2016, but Sulecki is also a good prospect (though he really fights at 154), and Centeno has rebounded nicely. He’s won two straight, including a highlight reel third round knockout of Immanuwel Aleem last time out in August.

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