The career of Jermall Charlo was about as picture-perfect as his record. At 154 pounds, he didn’t aggregate every world title but one was enough for most to consider him the man to beat. He may have taken the IBF crown off the carcass of an older Cornelius Bundrage but wins over Austin Trout and Julian Williams left no doubt surrounding his title reign.
Fighting at 160 pounds was the next logical step. The middleweight division was stockpiled with legit names and Charlo was anxious to get busy in his new weight class. Just a few fights into his new run, and Charlo was already a world champion.
Everything was going according to plan. Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) didn’t come close to losing a fight on paper. But soon after he got rid of Juan Macias Montiel, everything came crashing down.
A nagging back injury sidelined Charlo but personal issues left him there for a protracted amount of time. It’s been roughly two and a half years since he was last seen in the ring. During his time away, fans desperately wanted answers. Although he wasn’t able to provide much clarity in terms of a date, the wait is officially over.
On November 25th, on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade, Charlo will end his long layoff when he takes on Jose Benavidez Jr.
By and large, Benavidez Jr. isn’t viewed as one of the middleweight division’s top contenders. After coming up woefully short against Danny Garcia at 154 pounds last year, Benavidez added more muscle to his frame and moved up.
Sladan Janjanin wasn’t much of a test but Benavidez Jr. got a glimpse of what it would be like fighting a heavier opponent. A fifth-round knockout has his confidence through the roof, something that Benavidez Sr., his father and trainer, has acknowledged.
To a certain extent, Charlo might be viewing Benavidez Jr. as a stepping stone or a litmus test if you will. Benavidez Sr., however, doesn’t share that same feeling. If Charlo believes that his upcoming opponent can be used to simply shake off the cobwebs, Benavidez Sr. warns him that he has another thing coming.
“Charlo thinks he has it easy, a little tune-up fight,” Benavidez Sr. told ESNEWS. “Jr. is getting ready, super motivated. I think it’s a good fight.”