Derrick James has explained his approach to setting up Jermell Charlo for a win against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Charlo operates at super welterweight so when the news broke of a Charlo brother fighting the undisputed super middleweight champion, many assumed it was his brother - the middleweight fighter Jermall Charlo.
That would require moving up a single weight class, but instead it is the lighter of the pair who will step up to fight the Mexican - at least for the first fight of his current deal.
Jermell Charlo is undisputed at 154lbs, meaning he has 12lbs to add on if he is to make full use of the additional room two divisions higher, but speaking to FightHub TV, James has suggested that they will allow some of that weight to go unclaimed as they prioritise speed over size.
“I don’t believe in getting that heavy,” James said.
“I’ll say 63 or 64.”
Canelo is one of the bigger fighters at super middleweight, though he struggled when he operated a little higher to fight Dmitry Bivol in his second fight at light heavyweight.
James thinks there is an advantage in not adding too much to the frame of his charge.
He continued: “I want him to be fast, I want him to be athletic, I want him to be mobile. The heavier you are it’s like you’ll be lethargic, slower. You have to be faster.”