Ronnie Shields on The Future of the Charlos, Lara, and Vera’s Debut in BKB

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    untitledThaBoxingVoice.com caught up with trainer Ronnie Shields last week in Texas and he gave some insight into a few of his stable’s most prominent fighters and their direction for the remainder of the year.

    “Jermall Charlo is fighting September 11th in Las Vegas, the Thursday before the Mayweather fight, and Jermell Charlo is fighting on the first weekend in October. We’re looking at opponents right now,” Shields said.

    The Charlo brothers have been impressive in each of their careers thus far. Early on, it was Jermell that was considered the superior fighter of the two, but Jermall has proven that he is a strong threat and capable of achieving the kind of success most expect from his twin.

    They have said many times that they’d never fight one another, understandably so, but it would still be a great story if they could achieve the kind of success the Klitschko brothers (also twins) have achieved in their respective careers by collecting all four major titles between them.

    When asked if the Charlo brothers could sweep the 154lb titles and have the same kind of dominant success in the junior middleweight division as the Klitschko brothers have had in the heavyweight division, Shields said “I think without a doubt. They both have the potential to go all the way and that’s what we’re working on. We’re working on getting both guys championships this year. I think you’ll see both Charlos be champions of the world this year.”

    As for Erislandy Lara, who is coming off of a disappointing loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez this past July, Shields has no reserves getting him right back on the horse and in another major fight. He doesn’t want a soft-touch for his Cuban fighter and insists Lara will be in tough in his very next outing, reportedly sometime in November.

    “No tune-ups [for Lara]. He’s at the level now that every fight is a huge fight, so he’s going to fight somebody big in November,” Shields said.

    Shields will be busy this weekend in Las Vegas, not in the corner of a boxing ring, but rather the corner (or edge?) of “The Pit” in super middleweight and Texas native Brian Vera’s corner. Vera will take on Gabriel Rosado in this new promotional outfit. And it’s not just a new promotion, but a new sport of sorts that puts a twist on the traditional boxing landscape.

    The fighters fight in “The Pit,” which is half the size of a traditional boxing ring. “The Pit” has no ropes or turnbuckles and the rounds are shorter. The promotion instituted these changes with hopes of producing more knockouts and a higher volume of action.

    I personally would’ve loved to see Vera and Rosado in the ring on a major network, as both fighters are prone to exciting bouts. But Shields likes the opportunity that Vera is getting and suggests the adjustments BKB has made will produce explosive results.

    “It’s going to be a great fight. It’s a good opportunity for Brian against Gabe Rosado. I had Jermell Charlo beating Rosado, so we kind of know a lot about him, but Brian’s style is so different, so in this BKB boxing thing it’s going to be really exciting, I believe.”