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“It’s Just Too Much for Me”: Jermall Charlo Contemplates Retirement as Rivalry With Caleb Plant Reaches Boiling Point

Published 05/01/2024, 10:32 AM EDT

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Let’s hope it’s not true. Jermall Charlo, per his latest Instagram live session with Chad Ochocinco Johnson, seemed like he was contemplating retirement from boxing. ‘The Future of Boxing’ made a strong comeback last year, defeating Jose Benavidez Jr. unanimously in David Benavidez’s main card fight against Demetrius Andrade. Soon, his name started doing the rounds as one of the potential opponents against Canelo Álvarez. But the ‘slap gate’ incident with Caleb Plant brought Jermall Charlo to the headlines.

However, in the live session, apart from talking about retirement, Charlo, to all appearances, offered an apology to ‘Sweethands’. Now, this definitely surprised many fans. After all, the day before yesterday, Plant called out the WBC middleweight champion for a fight! The ‘Hitman’ had returned after staying away from the ring for more than 24 months. So, retirement within such a short span? More so, at a time when everyone expects him to put the bricks back and complete the half-finished story.

During the conversation, Jermall Charlo spoke about fighting Canelo Alvarez and avenging his brother’s loss. Charlo said, “When I do fight Canelo cuz I’m going to get my revenge, my brother he like I’mma get the revenge…” But then he quickly switched over and stated how he had been working all this time. He added, “You know what? You know what? Bro, I’m about to retire, bro.

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Perhaps Chad Johnson just couldn’t believe what he heard and refused to buy Charlo’s statement. But the ‘Hitman’ continued, “It’s just too much for me, like it’s just it’s just too much for me. I rather I want to just take care of my kids, and just, you know what I’m saying, I’m all I’m, I’m well off, I’m well off, I’m good, I’m straight.

Was he hinting at the sport? He revealed that he no longer found any enjoyment in what he was doing. “If you don’t love this sh*t then like it’s just it’s not it’s not for you it’s just, I’m debating on it… I just want to just you know get out get out uh get out the way man I’m just get out the way.” The next time signature followed. Jermall Charlo called out Caleb Plant.

Caleb knows this is “the fight the boxing world wants”

Sharing that he was no longer angry with the former super middleweight champion, the ‘Hitman’ admitted in the same interview that he made a mistake pulling at his beard that reportedly led to their fight.

In an Instagram post, ‘Sweethands’ shared the now-infamous video where he’s seen slapping Jermall Charlo. Alongside, he wrote, “This is the fight I want, can’t make it anymore clear….” Later, urging Charlo to either accept the challenge or leave him alone, Caleb Plant concluded, “This is the fight the boxing world wants, and I’m in the business of making big fights.

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A post shared by Caleb Plant (@calebplant)

Whichever direction the entire plot takes, it needs to be pointed out that the new deliberations of the WBC middleweight champion once again put brakes on an intriguing matchup. Last year, the ‘Hitman’ stated, “Hey, I’m going to come back and get revenge; watch,” after his twin brother Jermell Charlo lost the title challenge to Canelo Alvarez. So if he’s weighing early retirement, then how’s the line-up with the Mexican champion going to materialize?

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As the ‘Hitman’ will turn 34 on May 19, he should have a few more years of boxing left in him by any stretch of the imagination. No one questions his talent and boxing prowess. So does it bode well for his legacy if he proceeds with such a weighty decision?

What’s your take on the footage? Do you feel it’s a prudent decision on Jermall Charlo’s part? Let us know in the comments sections below.

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Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

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One take at a time

Jaideep Unnithan is a senior boxing author at EssentiallySports. Inching towards the milestone of over 2000 articles, he has been a chronicler of day-to-day developments happening inside and outside of the squared circle. Having a keen eye on the punches traded inside the ring, he has written opinion pieces on the fighting styles of Floyd Mayweather Jr, David Benavidez, and Terence Crawford.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai