Jermell Charlo already thinks he was robbed out of his WBC junior middleweight title last December.
Further drawing Charlo’s ire is he was set to fight Tony Harrison in a June rematch for the chance to snatch back his crown, but Harrison withdrew from the bout citing a right ankle sprain with torn ligaments. Charlo destroyed Jorge Cota via third-round knockout with Harrison in the house watching.
That pushed the rematch to Dec. 22, when Charlo will finally have the chance for redemption. Harrison and Charlo will run it back that night at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Standing at the podium during their Los Angeles press conference Thursday, an incensed Charlo didn’t hesitate ripping the champ and alleging that Harrison faked injury to delay the rematch.
"Dec. 22 was the day they made a decision to give Tony a victory," Charlo said, referring to the night in Brooklyn last year, when he controversially lost the WBC strap by unanimous decision. "You saw what I did to Cota on June 23 and you saw what I was going to get ready to do to your ass.
"You faked that injury,” Charlo said talking down at Harrison just a foot away. “He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for what I was getting to deliver to him. The sport is rough. It does wear and tear on the body. You didn't have surgery. June 3 you was supposed to be having surgery on your ankle.
“DeAndre Ware was one of your sparring partners up there in Detroit. He clipped you. Dropped you. You was out,” he added. “Maybe you had to regroup in your mind. Keep it real."
Harrison relegated Charlo’s tougher-than-leather talk to nothing more than barking and vowed the results will be the same Dec. 22.
"If I was scared, I wouldn't be here right now,” Harrison said. “I didn't take any fight in between. I haven't fought for a year, but I wanted to be put right back in it.
"His words definitely sparked the fuel in me that's on fire now,” Harrison added. “He talks loud, but he's not going to do anything. He doesn't have the skill set to beat me.”
Harrison used a measured, slick boxing strategy to win the title from Charlo last year in what was a heavily controversial decision. How will the rematch fare?