-
Mike Coppinger
-
Ben Baby
Ben Baby
ESPN Staff Writer
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports.
He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs.
A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
Jun 26, 2023, 07:39 AM ET
Canelo Alvarez will face Jermall Charlo in the first of a three-fight deal Alvarez signed with PBC. The fight is targeted to be held in September and broadcast on Showtime PPV.
Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) is the WBC middleweight champion, but he hasn’t fought since a decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel in June 2021. He’ll move up in weight to challenge Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship.
Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs), who defended his titles with a decision over John Ryder in Guadalajara, Mexico, in May, had said he wanted a rematch against Dmitry Bivol, who handed him the second loss of his career in May 2022 in a light heavyweight bout. Boxing fans have wanted Alvarez to face WBC interim champion David Benavidez, but Charlo got the chance.
How does Alvarez defeat a top fighter like Charlo? Can Charlo upset Alvarez after his long layoff? Is Benavidez next for Alvarez if he wins? How about a fight against Errol Spence Jr.?
Mike Coppinger and Ben Baby explain what the deal means, the chances for both fighters and what the future would hold if Alvarez wins.
Is Charlo the best option for Canelo for this fight? Why is he taking it?
Charlo makes sense for Alvarez’s second fight this year. The twin brother of junior middleweight undisputed champion Jermell Charlo, Jermall was one of two finalists for the Canelo sweepstakes over two years ago before boxing’s top star elected to face Bivol.
Bivol routed Alvarez. Charlo, meanwhile, hasn’t competed in two years, when he struggled with Juan Macias Montiel. Between the inactivity and Charlo’s personal
