Despite 2-year layoff, Jermall Charlo triumphs in slugfest boxing bout against Jose Benavidez Jr

Jermall Charlo participated in the co-main event of the recently concluded PBC PPV, which was headlined by David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade. Charlo faced Jose Benavidez Jr., the older brother of Benavidez and former WBA interim welterweight champion, in a middleweight bout.

Despite being the WBC middleweight champion, Charlo had been on a two-year layoff since his last fight against Juan Macias Montiel on July 19, 2021. It’s noteworthy that the fight against Benavidez was a non-title bout. Nevertheless, Charlo emerged victorious in a slugfest to win the middleweight bout.

Jermall Charlo beats Jose Benavidez Jr

Jermall Charlo defeated Jose Benavidez Jr via unanimous decision with the scorecards reading 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92. The victory kept his undefeated record intact in 33 professional boxing bouts. Charlo, the twin brother of unified super middleweight champion, Jermell Charlo utilized his superior size to full advantage in the fight.

Benavidez Jr was significantly smaller than Charlo in the bout and thus was unable to mount any serious threat. Charlo missed weight by more than 3 pounds for their bout. Nevertheless, the oddsmakers favored Charlo for the victory even after the weight miss, and the bout showed why.

Benavidez Jr, the younger brother of the undefeated super middleweight boxer, David Benavidez showed his toughness in the fight. He was hurt in the very first round of the bout but showed his resilience throughout. However, he was almost knocked out in the final round of the bout if not for the referee’s intervention.

Reason behind Jermall Charlo’s long layoff

Jermall Charlo made a comeback after a significant layoff to face Jose Benavidez Jr. In his previous fight, he successfully defended the WBC middleweight title against Juan Macias Montiel, marking his fourth title defense.

Originally, his much-anticipated return was scheduled against Canelo Alvarez, but he withdrew from the bout, leading to his twin brother, Jermell Charlo, taking his place. Alvarez would win the super middleweight bout via unanimous decision. The reason for Jermall Charlo’s withdrawal was due to undisclosed personal reasons.

Charlo never disclosed the details, but speculation suggests that the reason for the layoff was burnout. As a two-division champion in boxing, Charlo has the potential for several high-profile bouts.

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford stand out as prominent names for Jermall Charlo. It’s worth noting that his brother, Jermell Charlo, has also expressed interest in facing Crawford. He has already fought Alvarez who was two weight classes above in a losing effort.

Who do you think will be the next opponent of Jermall Charlo? Leave your comment below!