Jermall Charlo Confirmed To Return on Benavidez-Andrade PPV

WBC Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo is finally confirmed to return later this month on the undercard of the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade PPV in Las Vegas.

Charlo, who’s been out of the ring for almost two and half years- yet comically has remained at this organization’s world champ, will fight Benavidez’s older brother, Jose Benavidez Jr, in a ten round non-title November 25th in the Premier Boxing Champions event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

PBC and Showtime announced the unbeaten Charlo’s return Wednesday afternoon,

“The 33-year-old Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) will return from a layoff of over two years, having held the WBC middleweight belt since 2019 with a run that includes a dominant victory over top middleweight contender Sergey Derevyanchenko in their September 2020 showdown. Charlo’s 160-pound victories have come after a championship reign at 154-pounds that lasted from 2015 through 2017. He has compiled a perfect 7-0 record since moving up to middleweight and owns victories over former champions Julian Williams, Austin Trout and Cornelius Bundrage at super welterweight, with both Williams and Bundrage succumbing to highlight-reel KO defeats.

“It’s been a long road to this point, but only the strong survive and I’m built different,” said Charlo. “I’m looking forward to reminding everyone that there is a reason why Jermall Charlo is an undefeated world champion and one of the best fighters today pound-for-pound. This is the next chapter of my life and it’s going to be my best, so I want all my fans to tune in on November 25, because I’m going to light up Las Vegas.”

Phoenix’s Benavídez (28-2-1, 19 KOs) is the older brother of headliner David Benavídez and is trained by his father Jose Sr. A long-established contender who was a highly decorated amateur, Benavídez moved up to super welterweight after dropping a 2018 world title challenge to Terence Crawford, concluding a long run at 147 pounds. He moved up to 154 pounds in July 2022, battling two-division champion Danny Garcia for 12 rounds before losing by a close majority decision. Benavídez made his 160 pound debut in August, blasting out veteran Sladan Janjanin in round five.

“I’ve been working hard and I feel strong and ready to take him out,” said Benavidez. “I’ve been wanting to fight Charlo for a while I’m going to come that night and show him what I’m about. But I’m not here trying to use words. I don’t need to say anything. I’m going to let my fists do the talking in the ring on November 25.”

It’s been awhile

Charlo was last in the ring for close, 12 round decision over Juan Montiel in June of 2021. He’s had issues with a back injury and also, domestic problems away from the ring that have kept him inactive for what will be 28 months prior to this next bout.

Also confirmed Wednesday, the Benavidez-Andrade pay-per-view will also see hard punching IBF 140-pound world champion Subriel Matias against talented, unbeaten mandatory challenger Shohjahon Ergashev,

Matías, 19-1, 19 KOs, earned the IBF 140-pound championship back in February, stopping the previously unbeaten Jeremias Ponce in five rounds. Matias has shown that his power lasts, as his last seven wins have come via stoppage in the fifth round or later.

Born in Uzbekistan and now fighting out of Detroit and working with Sugar Hill Steward, Ergashev, 23-0, 20 KOs, has most recently gotten victories in 2022. Those by easy decision over Luis Alberto Veron in May, before his TKO win over Angel Martinez Hernandez in the fifth round in August of last year put him in position for this challenge.

Also announced- WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Hector Luis Garcia will fight top-rated, mandatory challenger Lamont Roach in the telecast opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in three weeks.