Jermell Charlo already proved how great he was. When you win every world title in any division, but especially at 154 pounds, there’s little left that you need to prove. He barked at his opponents and gave fans and media members who didn’t believe in him the proverbial middle finger. Yet, even with everything he accomplished, Charlo knew that a win over Canelo Alvarez would quiet every dubious voice that’s been surrounding his career. (photo by Ryan Hafey)

Fighting Alvarez appeared to be more of a pipe dream as he moved up in weight but once he was given an arbitrary call in the middle of the night, Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) happily accepted. He may have spent more time than normal bulking up for his super middleweight debut, but Charlo promised fans around the world that he had more than enough in his offensive bag to get the job done.

Ultimately, he was incredibly wrong.

Even if you squinted, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single round that you could give to Charlo this past Saturday night. The loss wasn’t a complete shock. Most fans weren’t giving him a chance at pulling off the upset. Bettors skipped out on their mortgage payments and threw down thousands of dollars on Alvarez. His boxing peers? Some may have supported him but the majority were rolling with Alvarez. Still, most believed that he would at least give the pound-for-pound star a run for his money.

Now, after watching it all play out, Charlo has found his name in the headlines. The words that have been used to describe him aren’t flattering either. He’s been called a disgrace, a fighter who mailed it in, looked for an easy way out, and simply showed up to collect a check.

Charlo hasn’t said much. He’s too busy trying to process what went wrong and what he could’ve done better. But while he’s keeping a low profile nowadays, Jermall Charlo, his twin brother, and current WBC middleweight titlist, took the time to defend him. His critics may disagree but Jermall believes his twin shouldn’t be ashamed of anything.

“My brother fought like a champion.”