“Derrick James, he started getting a little bit more fighters and a little bit more hype, and I feel like our communication changed,” Charlo said to Brian Custer.
Charlo said that as James built a larger stable, there was less direct time with him and more attempts to control the gym environment. He claimed James wanted things done his way, including telling fighters to remove their dogs from the gym during training sessions and changing the atmosphere that had helped build their success.
Charlo has been out of the ring since his loss to Saul Alvarez in 2023, while James has also recently split from Errol Spence Jr.. A trainer once viewed as one of the sport’s safest hands is suddenly dealing with public criticism from two of his biggest names.
“He wanted it his way,” Charlo said. “The coach need us. Don’t get too big, coach. Calm down, coach. I was your first champion.”
He also pointed to his camp for the Alvarez fight, saying support around him was not on the same page when he needed it most.
“You don’t go into a world title fight like that,” Charlo said.
Charlo still believes he can reclaim his place at junior middleweight, with talks ongoing for a possible fight against Sebastian Fundora later this year. His confidence has not changed, but his patience with old alliances clearly has. Sometimes a split starts when success changes the room.
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