Jermell graduated to the elite level on the amateur boxing scene after two years, winning a bronze medal at the 2005 Junior Olympics at age fifteen. They began boxing when they started following their father, a former boxer, into the gym. Both brothers are graduates of Alief Hastings High School in Houston, Texas. Jermell is younger than his identical twin Jermall by one minute. He is also ranked as the world's best active light middleweight by the TBRB, BoxRec, The Ring and ESPN. As of May 2022, Jermell is ranked as the world's tenth best active boxer, pound for pound, by The Ring and the TBRB. His identical twin brother, Jermall Charlo, is also a professional boxer and a world champion. Jermell DeAvante Charlo ( / dʒ ɜːr ˈ m ɛ l/ born May 19, 1990) is an American professional boxer who is currently a unified light middleweight world champion, having previously held the undisputed championship from 2022 to September 2023.