Friday, April 20, 2018

Jermall Charlo vs. Hugo Centeno Jr.

Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, NY, April 21
TV: Showtime
By Peter Lim

When one fighter has a small edge over the other in every facet of the game – power, speed, experience and expertise – it amounts to a huge advantage and, in the case of Charlo versus Centeno, a mismatch.

Charlo wins the battle of the jabs from the outset of this fight between these two tall, lanky middleweights. His stiff left jab will get there first, stopping Centeno in his tracks each time it connects.

But Charlo will not be content on breaking Centeno down with just the jab. By the third round, Charlo follows through with straight rights that forces Centeno to back off and reset with no counter strategy. Centeno valiantly attempts to improvise by alternating between boxing and slugging, but Charlo adapts and adjusts to anything Centeno has to offer.

Centeno gradually descends into kill-or-be-killed mode, desperately hoping to duplicate his one-punch knockout of Immanuel Aleem by way of picture-perfect left hook. But while trying to set Charlo up, Centeno walks smack into a straight right-left hook combo that drops him for the full count in the seventh round.