Jermall Charlo: The Truth About Turning Down Canelo, Al Haymon’s Handshake Deal & The Comeback at 36

Jermall Charlo sits down with Andre Ward in Houston for his first real conversation in years, just as his comeback fight on the Tim Tszyu/Errol Spence card in Australia is around the corner. The two-time world champion and one half of Lions Only takes Dre back to the beginning: a two-parent household in H-Town, fighting on the same amateur card as his own father, the ingrown toenail that cost him the 2008 Olympics, and why he turned pro without ever signing a contract with anyone.

Jermall gets into the stories only he can tell: jumping the gate to introduce himself to Al Haymon and the handshake that’s lasted 20 years, the mystery package sent to his room the night before his first world title fight, the divorce that took his kids and nearly took him, and the truth about turning down the Canelo fight in 2023 and watching his twin brother take it instead. Plus the Julian Williams counter he drilled every single day of camp, life as “the other twin,” and why at 36 he’s still in love with boxing.

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00:00 Intro – Welcoming Jermall Charlo in Houston
01:44 Body at 36
02:26 Pushing each other with Jermell
03:38 Early years in Houston, family life
04:35 Amateur days, fighting on his dad’s card
06:03 Twin dynamic – growing up as Jermall & Jermell
08:16 From other sports to realizing boxing was “the thing”
09:41 Early trainers & the amateur circuit
11:35 Twin life, differences inside & outside the ring
16:03 Missing the 2008 Olympics – injury & surgery
17:21 Turning pro & staying self-made
18:33 Meeting Al Haymon
23:04 2015 – Winning his first title
26:20 AD BREAK
27:07 Life as a champion & the start of his faith journey
29:55 Divorce, rock bottom & hitting his lowest point
34:44 Full surrender – his testimony
47:44 Julian Williams fight – the real tension
52:03 Life after the win – spending, business side
54:14 Two-year layoff & comeback vs. Benavidez
55:42 Scouting opponents & in-ring adjustments
56:42 The 2023 Canelo opportunity – why he passed it to Jermell
1:00:22 Watching his brother take on Canelo
1:01:23 Motivation for the Benavidez rematch
1:01:55 Identity, legacy & the pressure of “being the lion”
1:05:03 What’s next – real estate, ministry, business
1:06:53 Closing thoughts & outro

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