Jermall Charlo, undoubtedly the most privileged world champion we have witnessed in the past two decades, will finally be defending his WBC middleweight title against former welterweight challenger Jose Benavidez Jr. Their match is scheduled for November 25th at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, marking Charlo’s return to the ring after more than a two-year absence. This bout will be featured on the undercard of the headlining match featuring David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade.
Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KO’s) has held the WBC middleweight champion title since being promoted to full champion in 2019 after earning the interim version of the title in 2018. His last fight was on June 19th, 2021, when he successfully defended his belt against Juan Macias Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KO’s) with a unanimous decision (UD) victory.
Charlo’s return marks the end of a period of inactivity that raised questions about his continued status as a world champion. Many fighters who suffer injuries are stripped of their titles promptly, as exemplified by the situations of Joe Cordina and Savannah Marshall who were forced to relinquish their titles for being injured. However, Charlo’s extended absence did not lead to a similar outcome, raising concerns about fairness.
While the WBC rules state that a world champion must defend their titles every 120 days or four months [according to article 3.1 of their “Rules and Regulations”], WBC champions can go as long as a year without being active. However, Charlo’s situation of being inactive for two years without fighting is unusual in the modern era of boxing.
There are other factors that suggest Charlo may not deserve to hold his title. This includes a recent altercation with Caleb Plant in which he allegedly launched taunts that included racism amongst other allegations. His behavior and lack of self-defense raised questions about his eligibility as a champion. In contrast, current WBC middleweight interim champion, Carlos Adames (23-1, 18 KO’s), continued to compete despite personal issues related to the death of his own daughter.
Despite these issues, Jermall Charlo now has the opportunity to return to the ring, making him one of the most privileged world champions due to the unique circumstances of his inactivity.
Charlo will be facing a fellow American in Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-2-1, 19 KO’s), the older brother of current WBC interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez, in the undercard of the main event between David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade. Jose Benavidez has achieved success on his own, becoming the WBA interim super lightweight champion in 2015 and challenging for the WBO welterweight title in 2018.
Unlike his younger sibling David Benavidez, Jose has never held a world title. This fight provides him with a second opportunity to become a world champion, facing Jermall Charlo.
Benavidez recently moved up to middleweight and fought at the weight class for the first time in August of this year, defeating Bosnian fighter Sladan Janjanin (37-17, 26 KO’s). Jose Benavidez started at super lightweight before settling at 147 lbs, and he has now made the transition to 160 lbs.
It is currently uncertain how Jermall Charlo will fare against Jose Benavidez Jr., who has been more active than Charlo, like most professional boxers. Charlo was regarded as a talented fighter a couple of years ago, but his two-year layoff may impact his performance. Additionally, Jose Benavidez can be seen as a step-up in competition considering the opponents Charlo faced when he was active and the credentials that Benavidez brings to the ring.
The odds for this fight have yet to be determined, but any notion of Charlo being the favorite is based on his past performances, which may not accurately reflect his current skill level after the extended period of inactivity.
November 25th will also mark the return of the Benavidez siblings fighting on the same card since their last joint fight on November 13th, 2021.
