It's an all-Texas matchup as current WBC World Super Welterweight Champion Jermell Charlo faces Hall of Famer Terry Norris in this 154-pound fantasy showdown.
With the coronavirus pandemic spreading like mange across borders and putting the sports world on pause indefinitely, we’ve come up with a series of dream matches we hope helps fill the void while the globe recovers.
Always a fun exercise, these dream matches will pit a current star from the Premier Boxing Champions team against a past great at a similar point in their careers. First up is Jermell "Iron Man" Charlo (33-1, 17 KO’s) versus the 1992 version of "Terrible” Terry Norris (31-3, 17 KO’s).
Two Texas natives.
Two fearless super welterweights.
Two eras.
Who wins?
As someone who has been in the gyms since the early 80s, on and off in one capacity or another, I can vouch for the many improvements and changes in boxing over the years. Gone are the days of cocoa butter cures for cuts and possessive trainers growling whenever someone approached “their” fighter.
Today in most camps today, you see a strength and conditioning coach working alongside the trainer. Instead of a medium-rare ribeye for dinner, there’s a nutritionist who can customize meals based on the fighter’s blood work.
However, boxing is still at its core a fistfight where the winner is the guy with the better hands. The best teacher in life, and in boxing, is experience. Because of their busier schedules, the fighters and trainers of the past have one big advantage over today’s warrior.
So, how would a fantasy battle between Charlo and Norris play out?
A native of Lubbock, Texas, Norris was a fast punching fighter who threw 6-8 punch combinations and was at the height of his career in 1992. His biggest wins by that time were over Ray Leonard, Donald Curry, and John Mugabi. Though all three were on the wrong side of the hill when Norris beat them, he did turn back future titlists Jorge Castro, Carl Daniels, and Steve Little.
Charlo lists wins over Tony Harrison, Austin Trout, and Erickson Lubin. A sturdy fighter with an unlimited supply of confidence, Charlo has the determination and punch to remain competitive against anyone. With a slight size advantage over the former welterweight Norris, the Houston based Charlo would be as formidable a foe as any of Norris’ other opponents.
Fighting under today’s rules, with a present-day referee, could Charlo keep up with Norris’ punch output? Would Norris keep his cool under Charlo’s stoic pressure for twelve rounds?
Stylistically, Simon Brown in 1994 was probably the closest Norris got to facing someone like Charlo. Interestingly, their two fights resulted in completely different results. Norris, who could fight in reverse or coming forward, would present looks Charlo has yet seen, though Harrison in the rematch gave him something Charlo could build on.
So, who wins in a match between the 2020 version of Charlo against the 1992 version of Norris? While we’ll stop just short of picking against someone in our current stable, we believe this one is close to a pick 'em fight and welcome our readers to chime in on the comment sections of our social media pages.
Up next: Danny Garcia in an all-Philly match with a legend from the past.
For a closer look at Jermell Charlo, check out his fighter page.
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