On Saturday night, the Charlo twins, Jermall and Jermell, headline a pay-per-view from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.
Jermall headlines the first portion of the card as he puts the WBC middleweight title on the line against two-time 160-pound challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko. After a 30-minute intermission, the second card will begin with the main event being Jermell defending the WBC junior middleweight belt against IBF/WBA (Super) champion Jeison Rosario in a title unification bout.
After making three defenses of the IBF junior middleweight title, Jermall moved up to 160 pounds and won the interim WBC middleweight title via second-round knockout against Hugo Centeno Jr. in April 2018. Jermall had the interim tag removed in 2019 when the WBC made Canelo Alvarez the "Franchise" champion. The knock on Jermall since going to middleweight has been the lack of quality opposition. That changes with Derevyanchenko.
"After I win this fight, the sky is the limit," Jermall said in a press release. "I know people will respect me a lot more after this, but I'm focused on only this fight. This fight is another big stepping stone toward even bigger fights to come."
Going into Saturday's tilts, two of Derevyanchenko's last three fights have been championship fights. Derevyanchenko lost a narrow split decision in Daniel Jacobs for the vacant IBF title in October 2018. A year later, the Ukrainian lost a close unanimous decision in one of the best fights of 2019 to IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin in October. Sandwiched in between was a victory over Jack Culcay in April 2019.
"Golovkin is a very different fighter than Charlo, but Jacobs is similar stylistically, so that's something I'll be used to," Derevyanchenko said. "This training camp has been very similar to camps for my previous fights, though. We just brought in different sparring partners for this one. We're using fighters who can show us what Charlo will bring to the ring."
Jermell was rolling along at junior middleweight. He'd made three successful title defenses of the WBC strap until getting upset by Tony Harrison in December 2018. They met again in December with Jermell notching an 11th-round TKO victory, roaring back after being down early on in the contest. The Houston native feels a win makes him the premier fighter in the division.
"I ended my last fight in the 11th round, so I've been able to finish in the later rounds," Jermell said. "Everyone knows I can end the fight early too. Rosario got his chance and won the titles, but I always felt I was the best fighter in the division. When I'm at my best, I don't see anyone that can compete with me. I always wanted all the belts, and I knew I was going to have to take them from somebody."
Rosario comes into the biggest fight of his career unbeaten in his last nine contests. The highlight came his previous time out, battering Julian Williams to win via fifth-round TKO to become the unified junior middleweight champion. Rosario feels Charlo will be his most formidable challenge to date.
"I think Williams was probably more skilled technically, and he was harder to hit because he changes up his angles a lot," Rosario said. "Charlo is stronger, a bigger puncher, and I think he's a more athletic fighter than Williams. We're preparing for the best Charlo, and we know that means we have to be at our very best, too."
Below is everything you need to know on how to watch Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario.
What TV channel are the Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario fights on?
In the U.S., the Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario main cards are a Showtime event that is available via pay-per-view through many cable and satellite providers; check with your local provider for more information.
The main PPV card begins at 7 p.m. ET, headlined by Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko. After that concludes, there'll be a 30-minute intermission before the second card, featuring the Charlo vs. Rosario main event.
How can I stream Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario?
In addition to traditional cable and satellite services, the Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario fights can be streamed via sho.com in the U.S. and on the FITE.TV app in the U.K.
How much does Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario cost?
The Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario fight card carries a price tag of $74.99 in the U.S., plus applicable taxes and fees.
What time does Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko and Charlo vs. Rosario start?
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
- PPV main card: 7 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. PT
The PPV main card is at 7 p.m. ET, and the Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko main event is expected to start at 8:30 p.m. ET at the earliest, but it could begin after 9 p.m. ET, depending on the length of the earlier fights. Charlo vs. Rosario is expected to begin about 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the earlier bouts go.
Charlo vs. Derevyanchenko fight card
- Jermall Charlo vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko for Charlo's WBC Middleweight title
- Brandon Figueroa (c) vs. Damien Vazquez for Figueroa's WBA Super Bantamweight title
- Daniel Roman vs. Juan Carlos Payano; Super Bantamweights
Charlo vs. Rosario fight card
- Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario in a WBC, WBA, IBF Junior Middleweight title unification
- Luis Nery vs. Aaron Alameda for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight title
- John Riel Casimero (c) vs. Duke Micah for Casimero's WBO Bantamweight title