Jermell Charlo, of Houston, made history last night at the venue dubbed "The Punch Bowl" by stopping WBO 154-pound world champion Brian Castano to become the undisputed junior middleweight champ. He came up just short of accomplishing the feat in July of last year when the two settled got a hotly disputed draw in his home state at the Alamo in San Antonio. Little Charlo becomes just the seventh fighter, and the first Texan, to become undisputed in the four-belt era. His stablemate and fellow Texas, Errol Spence jr, may get the chance to accomplish the feat in the division directly south, the welterweight division. It seems like Spence and WBO welterweight champion Terrence Crawford may come to an agreement.
Charlo becomes the first Jr Middleweight to get all the belts in the four-belt era in what will be a candidate for fight of the year. Things started off well for the Houston-based champion who was able to score with his jab and establish his rhythm and scored the best punch of the opening round when he scored with a thudding left hand that stopped Castano in his tracks. He started the fight much more aggressively than he did in the first fight putting some early rounds in the back as Castano, applying constant pressure on and swarming Charlo cutting off the ring and scoring with a thudding right hand at the end of the fourth that seemed to hurt the Texan. Castano seemed to have seized the momentum after six but Charlo regrouped in the seventh. He got back to moving and outboxing his opponent and seemingly regaining control of the fight taking the eighth and ninth rounds. In the middle of a heated exchange, Charlo scored with an uppercut that stunned Castano. Charlo jumped on his opponent like a dog on fear and rocked his opponent with another picture-perfect left hook that Castano put Castano down in what looked like a delayed reaction. The referee allowed Castano, who was clearly out on his feet, after beating the count, but the writing was on the wall, and Charlo, an excellent finisher, closed the show and secured the stoppage at 2:33 of the tenth round.