Jermall Charlo announced on Wednesday during the public media workout that he’s ready to “take over the 168-lb division” starting on Saturday night against Thomas LaManna in their 10-round co-feature bout at super middleweight at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) laid out his plan of beating LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KOs), Caleb Plant, and Canelo Alvarez in that order. If the 35-year-old former two-division world champion Jermall has anything left, he should be able to win all three fights.
Charlo’s 168-lb Comeback
Old ‘Sweethands’ Plant is nothing special, and Canelo is shot to pieces after 20 years as a pro. He might not even win his next fight againt Terence Crawford. So, instead of Charlo targeting Canelo, he might need to go after Crawford.
Jermall is fighting on the undercard of Plant’s fight againt little-known middleweight Jose Armando Resendiz. Their event will be shown live on PBC on Prime Video. The event starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. PT. If Charlo had kept his career going in 2021, he’d be headlining, and Plant would be the co-feature.
“Jermall Charlo is coming back. I’m in way better shape than when I fought [Jose] Benavidez. Stylistically, tactic-wise, LaManna should be a tougher opponent than Benavidez,” said Jermall Charlo to Fight Hub TV about his fight this Saturday night againt Thomas LaManna.
Predicting Charlo’s Future Activity
This is Charlo’s first fight since his comeback victory over Jose Benavidez Jr in 2023. For that fight, Jermall was coming off a 2.5-year layoff. It was thought at the time that he would stay busy after his win over Benavidez Jr., but he went back into hibernation mode until now. Jermall says he’ll remain active this time.
But once he receives that paycheck, it’s predictable that he’ll disappear for another two years, spend the money, and return at age 37 in 2027. I’m hoping that’s not the case, but he’s shown his spots. I’ve seen that behavior before by people who get a lot of money and then get to spend every last bit of it. The only thing we can accurately predict is that Jermall will disappear again.
“So, I’ve been focused. I’m sharp, ready,” said Jermall. “Everything should be good. I’m active. You said I was the best when I was active. Well, I’m back active. I’m more excited than I used to be. It’s not so much nerve-wracking, but I’m ready to put on a show.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Charlo loses to LaManna because he’d lost a lot of his game coming back in 2023. He’s not going to be better after another two years out of the sport.
Charlo’s 168-lb Takeover Plan
“I’ll take over the 168-lb division,” said Charlo. “It’s wide open for me. Y’all got a new contender in the division. The message is Get ready for me. Jermall Charlo. I’m not just coming to win a belt. I want Canelo. I want Plant first, and then maybe Canelo before it’s too late.”
Let’s get this straight. Jermall is not taking over the 168 division. Even when he was still active and firing on all eight cylinders, that version of him wouldn’t beat all the top fighters in the super middleweight division. He could beat a few and brag that he’s the King, like some fighters do, but he wouldn’t be taking over the division in a true sense. It would be just bluster and avoidance.
“I just stayed in the ring and kept working,” said Jermall. “Even though I’ve been inactive, I stayed sharp, I stayed working. I learned me about myself than I knew at first. So, now I’m ready to show you guys what I’ve been working on. I can’t win with anger. I never really carry anger into my fights,” said Jermall, speaking to a reporter, who appears to have him mixed up with his twin, Jermell Charlo.”
We all seen the videos of Charlo. He wasn’t staying “in the ring’ in the last two years. He’s been kicking back in his mansion, living the soft life, and the only reason he didn’t put on weight is because of his metabolism, and he’s not a big eater like some fighters.
“It’s just the way I present myself. I’m a man and I want to be treated like one. I want everyone to know I’m human too. I go through things. I learned a lot of things about myself. So, it’s my turn to show you guys what I’ve been working on,” said Jermall.
