Jun 17, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Professional boxer Jermell Charlo throws out the first pitch before the Houston Astros play the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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Jermell Charlo Calls Out Terence Crawford; Veteran Analysts Share Their Thoughts On This Bold Move

Desperation changes how fighters call out their desired opponents in very noticeable ways over time. Confident champions issue direct challenges claiming they will destroy anyone who accepts the fight without hesitation. But fighters coming off losses or extended inactivity sound much different when seeking big opportunities. Jermell Charlo was once considered one of boxing’s elite champions at light middleweight with impressive skills. He captured the undisputed championship at 154 pounds before moving up to challenge Canelo Alvarez in May 2023.

That Canelo fight turned into arguably the most boring boxing fight of the Mexican superstar’s entire career. Charlo looked completely outmatched and never threatened Canelo throughout twelve rounds of action that disappointed everyone. He hasn’t fought since that loss over two years ago, leaving his career in strange limbo.

🗣️ “I’d give him the best fight of today’s era.”

Jermell Charlo calls for a fight with Terence Crawford 👀 pic.twitter.com/ltwbdFqKcR
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) October 20, 2025

Now Charlo is calling out Terence Crawford following Crawford’s historic victory over Canelo Alvarez last month. The hosts of the popular boxing show ‘Inside The Ring’ analyzed Charlo’s callout with fascinating observations about his changed tone. Their breakdown revealed how much Charlo’s confidence has diminished since his undisputed championship days at 154 pounds.

Max Kellerman Questions Charlo’s Greatness After Weak Callout

Max Kellerman provided an interesting perspective on Jermell Charlo’s career trajectory and current standing in the boxing hierarchy. The veteran boxing analyst explained there are different levels that separate fighters throughout the sport clearly. According to him, there are levels of good, very good, excellent and great. He acknowledged that Jermell Charlo (35-2-1) had an excellent career with legitimate achievements at light middleweight before facing Canelo. But Kellerman noted that great fighters don’t call out opponents the way Charlo just did publicly.

“A great fighter would not say that ‘I think I can give this dude a better run than this other dude. He would be saying that i would beat this dude.”

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Great fighters exude confidence that they will win rather than just hoping to perform better than someone else. Charlo’s actual words during his recent interview revealed exactly what Kellerman criticized about his approach entirely. “I’d give him the best fight of today’s era. I don’t think that there’s no other fight out there in the boxing world for Crawford to make right now,” Those comments focus on giving Crawford a good fight rather than beating him convincingly.

Mike Coppinger Notes Charlo’s Changed Tone From Two Years Ago

Mike Coppinger, senior insider for The Ring, jumped into the conversation with even more damning observations. He compared Charlo’s current callout to how the fighter talked about Crawford two years ago.

Coppinger explained that Charlo’s language has shifted from confidence to something resembling reverence almost uncomfortably. He revealed that two years ago, Charlo was saying that he would beat Crawford badly and more. Now he says that it would be an honor to fight Crawford. This, according to Coppinger reveals everything about Charlo’s diminished confidence after the Canelo loss and subsequent inactivity. Fighters seeking respect from opponents rather than threatening them shows a fundamental shift in mentality completely.

(Image Credit: Thomas Shea – Imagn Images)

Jermell Charlo

Terence Crawford

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!