Mistaken identity triggers Charlo’s feud with Hatley
In an all-Texas showdown, Jermell Charlo defends his World Boxing Council junior middleweight title against Charles Hatley of Dallas on Saturday night at Barclays Center in New York.
Eleven months and a day ago, Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KOs) unceremoniously gatecrashed Charlo’s victory party in Las Vegas the night Charlo and his brother Jermall made boxing history by becoming the first twins to hold world titles concurrently in the same division.
Hatley stepped into the ring and rudely shoved Charlo during the post-fight interview on live TV.
But it was the wrong Charlo he publicly attempted to rile. Hatley was the mandatory challenger for Jermell’s belt, but it was Jermall with whom he had provoked the scuffle. Jermell had fought earlier.
Afterward on the plane home to Houston, the twins laughed about Hatley’s faux paus, just the latest case of mistaken identity brought about by their interchangeable DNA since childhood.
But regardless of whether Hatley did it to insult, steal the spotlight or generate publicity, they also viewed it as disrespectful and unsportsmanlike.
“I’m glad that it didn’t get more dangerous or serious than that,” Jermell (28-0, 13 KOs) said of the skirmish. “But, he does have to eat a few jabs to the mouth for that.”
It was not the first time Hatley, 31, tried to intimidate an opponent before a fight. In his only career loss in 2012, Hatley allegedly taunted Lanardo Tyner while the fighters were stepping on the scales.
“He made me kind of angry at the weigh-in,” Tyner said. “He was talking (noise) and he put his fist under my chin and that was disrespectful to me. So, I told him I was going to knock him out.”
Tyner (32-10-2, 20 KOs) dropped Hatley twice and stopped him in the first round.
Tyner had previously served as Charlo’s sparring partner. Having traded punches with both fighters, Tyner predicts Charlo will knock out Hatley in “five rounds or sooner.”
“To me, Charlo should win this fight with no problem,” Tyner said. “He should stop (Hatley), but this is boxing so I won’t be surprised no matter what happens.”
Hatley attributed the knockout to Tyner to disobeying doctor’s orders and returning to action too soon after knee surgery. Riding a nine-fight winning streak since, six by knockout, Hatley insists he has put the loss behind and is focused on the task at hand.
“I wanted Jermell for three years,” Hatley said. “There’s no other fight in boxing that I want more than this. We had a long camp and we never stopped working. I’m going to bring the best out of him and become the new champion. There’s nothing he can do to stop me from leaving the ring with that belt.”
Trained by Derrick James, Jermell, 26, also will have his older-by-a-minute brother in his corner for the first time in his career. James is based in Dallas so he is familiar with Hatley’s style. In addition, Jermell has been sparring with 2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) who has often sparred with Hatley.
“My coach has already scripted the way he wants this fight to go,” Jermell said. “I have to make it happen. I want to make a statement with a knockout, but if it doesn’t happen I’m ready to do what I have to do. I can’t put too much pressure on myself. I just have to take care of business.”
The card will be broadcast on Showtime.