Jermall Charlo makes his ring return on Saturday, November 25 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, where he faces Jose Benavidez Jr. The pair squares off in the scheduled for 10 rounds bout at middleweight. The contest serves as the co-main event on the PPV card, headlined by David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade.
Houston-based undefeated WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) goes through the ropes for the first time in over two years. In his previous bout in June 2021, the 33-year-old native of Lafayette, Louisiana scored a unanimous decision against Juan Macias Montiel and retained his belt.
Phoenix-based Benavidez Jr (28-2-1, 19 KOs) last fought in August when he defeated Sladan Janjanin via fifth-round TKO. With the win, the 31-year-old returned to winning ways after dropping a majority decision against Danny Garcia last July. In October 2018, Panorama City, California native challenged Terence Crawford for WBO welterweight title, but was stopped in Round 12.
“I’m excited to be back – back where I belong,” Jermall Charlo said following a recent workout in Houston. “I’m really re-learning boxing, like in the amateurs all over again. I feel new to it. It’s a thrill at the same time. I’m putting my life on the line once again, to shock the world and let people know that I’m on top.”
“A lot of people consider mental health when can’t stabilize your mind and think forward. And that’s kind of where I was at. I was in a place of not being able to explain it to anyone and kind of always shielded it and I had to fight through that through my learning experiences. The main thing I’ve learned this whole time is patience. I got ready on my own terms. I’m back in the ring on my own terms. I feel better at my own pace and I’m going to go in and face my battles on my own timing.”
“Benavidez is just one of those guys who has to make a name for himself. Of course, talking s— to me would be the best thing you can do because you’re only amping the fight up. I mean, I guess he is trying to sell the fight, but I’m taking it personal and I’m taking it seriously. I’m not taking his words lightly.”
“He wants to fight me I guess in revenge for his brother. There’s a lot of brother-brother stuff going on, you know, the Charlo brothers and the Benavidez brothers. So it’s the battle of the brothers and if you want this to be your biggest rival, let’s do it. I’m coming back after two years, no excuses. I’m here to fight.”
“I don’t have respect for him. I have respect for myself to go out there and dictate the fight, be patient. Of course, if I hit him flush, I’ll knock him cold out. Walking all over him, AI [Allen Iverson] s—. I’m going crazy. I’m just trying not to let the excitement overpower me.”
“I actually want to be more active next year, take on two or three fights. I’m ready to stay in the gym and stay focused and hopefully I can land one of those big fights you want to see. Maybe the winner out of the main event or maybe Canelo, YouTubers coming up. You know, I really don’t care. I just want to fight.”
‘I think Jermall is going to be too strong’
“I think Jermall Charlo is back,” said Charlo’s trainer Ronnie Shields. “He’s back to where he was two years ago. His attitude is great and he’s really looking forward to training every day.”
“Ring rust is ring rust, but this is why we train every day, to get the rust off. I mean, I wish the fight was tomorrow because he’s ready to go.”
“I think Jose Benavidez Jr. brings a lot, especially with his attitude, which is ferocious and that’s a good attitude to have I guess in this business. You know, look, Jose is like his brother David. They are both good fighters and you can say they train hard, and they come to fight. And that’s a good thing. But you know what, we’re looking for a fight.”
“I’ve been dissecting everything, absolutely. I know everything about Jose and what we can exploit and everything that I see that he does that I think can work in our favor. So we’re definitely looking at everything. In the end, I think Jermall is going to be too strong.”
“Jermall is like a son to me. He’s in a great place right now. He’s with his wife and his kids and really enjoying everything right now. I think it’s that frame of mind that it takes for him to succeed. Now that he has that back and he’s so happy and joyful about everything little thing, that’s a great place for him to be.”
“I think Jose Benavidez Jr. is going to come out fast, like he always does and he’s going to try and put on a lot of pressure on ‘Mall and try to hit him with things we don’t normally get hit with. But whatever he brings, we got something for him. I think ‘Mall’s power is special and we’re going to keep backing him up with the power.”
In the main event, undefeated two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez goes up against unbeaten two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade. The contest is scheduled for 12 rounds with Benavidez’s interim WBC 168-pound title on the line.
In the UK and Australia, the event airs live on Sunday, November 26.
