On Saturday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, David Benavídez showed why he could be the best fighter at 168 pounds.
Benavidez showed off his power and skills when he stopped former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade after the sixth round when Andrade’s corner stopped the fight.
In possibly the best performance of his career, the 26-year-old Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs), fighting his first southpaw in seven years, bloodied and pounded Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs).
Andrade is a fighter many believed was avoided by some of the top guys in the sport, but Benavidez, who dropped Andrade in the fourth round, was ready and able to get the job done.
“Everybody says I’m not this, I’m not that, I’m flat-footed, I have no defense,” Benavidez said. “This guy probably applied one of the best defenses. He’s really good offensively. He could barely even hit me, so I think that says a lot on its own. I just have to keep beating who they put in front of me. I’m the best. I’m going to be the best. I’m going to be a legend by the time I’m done, so whoever you keep putting in front of me, I’ll keep knocking them down.”
Courtesy: Ryan Hafey/PBC
Benavídez punctuated his performance with an embrace of Mike Tyson outside the ring following the stoppage. Tyson famously dubbed Benavídez the “Mexican Monster.”
“I just told Mike Tyson that I love him and thank you so much for the motivation he’s given me,” Benavídez said. “It’s not every day a boxing legend like Mike Tyson gives people nicknames, so I just want to live up to my name.”
The only guy left for Benavidez to beat at 168 pounds is undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, who he called out after defeating Andrade.
“I just reminded everyone who the real champion at 168 is,” he said. Who wants to see me versus Canelo? I’m going to be super middleweight champion of the world, three-time world champion. Now, just give me the fight that we all want to see. Who wants to see Benavídez versus Canelo?”
The 35-year-old Andrade, who fought for the second time at 168 pounds, says he will return.
“I’ll be back – back to the drawing board,” he said. “I moved up in weight classes. I’ll work on my body a little more, and I’ll be right back at it. I thought overall I did everything I needed to do to get the bigger man off me. David’s definitely a hell of a fighter. Nobody was even willing to get in the ring with him. I tried to become a three-division world champion. That’s not far-fetched. David was the man tonight. Benavídez is the bigger man.”
Benavidez was not only the bigger man, but he was the better man, and hopefully, he will finally get Canelo next.
WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Héctor García will square off against top-rated mandatory challenger Lamont Roach in the telecast opener of a stacked SHOWTIME PPV undercard on Saturday, November 25 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
“I’ve had an amazing training camp in Las Vegas, training and sparring with the best in the world,” said García. “I’m in tremendous shape and everything has come together for me during this training camp. My weight is right on point and I’m feeling strong.
“This is going to be a great fight for the fans because we both have something to prove, and we are going to do whatever it takes to be victorious. Lamont Roach is very skilled in a lot of areas. He’s a technical fighter with a high ring IQ. I’ve been working extremely hard to be prepared for his style. He’s coming into this fight very hungry to become a world champion, but I’m not giving up my title. I’m going to leave everything in the ring on fight night!”
Photo Credit: MJS Entertainment
García captured his world title with a one-sided unanimous decision over Roger Gutiérrez in August 2022.
“Fighting at super featherweight is where I’m most dangerous,” continued García. “I captured the WBA title by beating the best in the division. Now, I’m ready to defend my title against the number one ranked fighter in the WBA. I’m going to show the world that I’m the best fighter at 130 pounds.”
After a tremendous 2022 in which García handed the then unbeaten Chris Colbert his first professional loss and then won his title over Gutiérrez, García will look to bounce back from his only professional loss, which came in January of this year when he was stopped by Gervonta Davis in their lightweight showdown.
“A victory on November 25 will solidify my status as one of the best fighters in the world,” concluded García. “My goal is to fight the biggest names in boxing. A win against Roach will open up a tremendous amount of opportunities for me and my team.”
Undefeated WBC Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo discussed training camp and more ahead of his showdown against exciting contender Jose Benavidez Jr., which serves as the SHOWTIME PPV co-main event on Saturday, November 25 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Charlo will take on Benavidez in a 10-round non-title WBC special event as he looks to end an over two-year layoff with an emphatic victory.
Here is what Charlo had to say from training camp in his hometown of Houston:
JERMALL CHARLO
“I’m excited to be back – back where I belong. I’m really re-learning boxing, like in the amateurs all over again. I feel new to it. It’s a thrill at the same time. I’m putting my life on the line once again, to shock the world and let people know that I’m on top.
“A lot of people consider mental health when can’t stabilize your mind and think forward. And that’s kind of where I was at. I was in a place of not being able to explain it to anyone and kind of always shielded it and I had to fight through that through my learning experiences. The main thing I’ve learned this whole time is patience. I got ready on my own terms. I’m back in the ring on my own terms. I feel better at my own pace and I’m going to go in and face my battles on my own timing.
Andrew Hemingway/SHOWTIME
“Benavidez is just one of those guys who has to make a name for himself. Of course, talking s— to me would be the best thing you can do because you’re only amping the fight up. I mean, I guess he is trying to sell the fight, but I’m taking it personal and I’m taking it seriously. I’m not taking his words lightly.
“He wants to fight me I guess in revenge for his brother. There’s a lot of brother-brother stuff going on, you know, the Charlo brothers and the Benavidez brothers. So it’s the battle of the brothers and if you want this to be your biggest rival, let’s do it. I’m coming back after two years, no excuses. I’m here to fight.
“I don’t have respect for him. I have respect for myself to go out there and dictate the fight, be patient. Of course, if I hit him flush, I’ll knock him cold out. Walking all over him, AI (Allen Iverson) s—. I’m going crazy. I’m just trying not to let the excitement overpower me.
“I actually want to be more active next year, take on two or three fights. I’m ready to stay in the gym and stay focused and hopefully I can land one of those big fights you want to see. Maybe the winner out of the main event or maybe Canelo, YouTubers coming up. You know, I really don’t care. I just want to fight.”
Two sensational matchups featuring a former world champion, exciting contenders and a rising star will highlight the SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN show on Saturday, November 25 leading up to the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade SHOWTIME PPV from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The action is topped by former world champion Sergey Lipinets taking on exciting contender Michel Rivera in a 10-round super lightweight fight, plus sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. faces Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a 10-round super welterweight attraction.
he live stream will begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and be available on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing® Facebook page.
These fights will lead into a four-fight pay-per-view telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and headlined by undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavídez defending his Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title against unbeaten two-division world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade in one of the most intriguing matchups in the star-studded 168-pound division.
Lipinets (17-2-1, 13 KOs) will look for another statement victory on his road to re-claiming a 140-pound world title. After a decorated kickboxing career, Lipinets began boxing professionally in 2014, eventually capturing a world championship with a November 2017 unanimous decision over Akihiro Kondo. Originally from Kazakhstan and now fighting out of Southern California, Lipinets dropped the title in a 2018 clash against four-division champion Mikey Garcia on SHOWTIME® before making a run at welterweight. At 147-pounds, Lipinets stopped two-division champion Lamont Peterson and challenged current top welterweight Jaron Ennis unsuccessfully in April 2021. Most recently, Lipinets returned to 140 pounds to stop former world champion Omar Figueroa Jr. in the eighth round in August 2022 on SHOWTIME.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now training out of Massachusetts, Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) burst onto the scene in 2019, making his United States debut with a victory over Rene Tellez Giron on SHOBOX: The New Generation®. The 25-year-old continued his ascent with five more victories in 2020 and 2021, before beginning 2022 with triumphs over Joseph Adorno and Jerry Perez. Rivera’s momentum was halted in his last outing, as he dropped a showdown between then unbeaten lightweights, losing a decision to Frank Martin in December 2022 on SHOWTIME. He will now debut at 140-pounds seeking to get back on track toward a world title.
Representing Roseland, N.J., Mielnicki (15-1, 10 KOs) has shown improved power in recent outings, stopping three of his last four opponents, including a highlight-reel KO of Jose Sanchez Charles in April. This victory was Mielnicki’s second of the year, as he stopped Omar Rosales in four rounds in January. The 21-year-old first turned heads during his exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves, amongst many accolades before turning pro.
Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and now fighting out of Norwalk, Calif., Salazar (25-5, 10 KOs) put together a 15-fight winning streak between 2015 and 2020, eventually earning a shot against top middleweight Carlos Adames that he lost in June 2021. The 28-year-old has won two out of three fights since that outing, including a decision loss to unbeaten Xander Zayas in December 2022. Most recently, Salazar stopped David Rangel in the fifth round of their June showdown.
The non-televised undercard will see Panama’s Pablo Vicente (23-1, 17 KOs) battling Tajikistan’s Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov (20-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round WBC Super Featherweight Title Eliminator, Mayweather Promotions’ rising prospect Curmel Moton (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round super featherweight showdown against Memphis-native Hunter Turbyfill (3-0, 1 KO), plus undefeated Milwaukee-native Daniel Blancas (7-0, 4 KOs) meets Texas’ Raiko Santana (10-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight bout.
Rounding out the lineup is unbeaten lightweight Jabin Chollet (8-0, 7 KOs) stepping in for an eight-round bout, a six-round super lightweight showdown pitting Israel Mercado (9-1-1, 7 KOs) against Wesley Rivers (4-3), plus welterweight prospect Alex Holley (1-0) duels Las Vegas’ Allen Medina (0-1) in a four-round fight.
Undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavídez will defend his Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title against unbeaten two-division world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade on November 25 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.SHOWTIME PPV).
Benavidez vs. Andrade is one of the most compelling matches in the super middleweight division, pitting two undefeated boxers with world championship pedigrees and intriguingly combative and difficult styles to solve, as Benavidez is a come-forward, hard-nosed warrior, while Andrade is a master technician of the sweet science.
The 26-year-old undefeated Benavídez (27-0, 23 KOs) returns after besting longtime rival Caleb Plant via unanimous decision in a SHOWTIME PPV slugfest from March. Benavídez became the youngest-ever 168-pound world champion at just 20-years-old when he defeated Ronald Gavril by split decision for the vacant WBC title in 2017. A Phoenix-native who now lives and trains in Seattle, Washington, Benavidez has stamped his place in the super middleweight division with knockout power in both hands and improving ring savvy with each fight. When he was 15 years old, Benavídez went from weighing 250 pounds to a boxing prodigy under the watchful eye of his father and trainer, Jose, Sr., and his brother and veteran contender Jose Jr., as he famously held his own in sparring against middleweight champions Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin as a teenager. Benavídez rode a string of six straight knockout victories heading into the bout against Plant, including KOs of former world champions Anthony Dirrell and David Lemieux.
“I’m really excited to come back again and fight on pay-per-view,” said Benavidez. “Andrade is a slick fighter, but I’m the bigger, stronger and better boxer. I know the kind of fight that fans expect from me, so I’m putting in the work every day so that I can step into the ring on November 25 and go for the knockout. I’m coming to show everyone why I’m ‘El Monstruo’ at 168 pounds.”
A 2008 U.S. Olympian from Providence, Rhode Island, Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) captured world titles at 154 and 160-pounds with sublime precision punching and defensive prowess as he fights for the second time at 168 pounds. The 35-year-old first captured a 154-pound title with a 2013 victory over Vanes Martirosyan, winning another belt at the weight class by defeating Jack Culcay in 2017, before moving up to middleweight. Andrade won a dominant decision over Walter Kautondokwa in October 2018 to win a vacant world title at 160 pounds, before putting together a string of five consecutive title defenses. Andrade debuted at 168 pounds in January, dropping Demond Nicholson twice on his way to a shutout unanimous decision. Before turning pro, Andrade was a prolific amateur, winning the World Amateur Championship once and the U.S. Amateur Championship twice, while racking up victories against pro champions Keith Thurman, Daniel Jacobs, Shawn Porter and Austin Trout.
“I’m having a great training camp and I can’t wait for November 25,” said Andrade. “I expect myself and David Benavidez to bring our best on fight night and give the fans a memorable matchup. I have the tools and ability to beat anybody, and I’ll win this fight because of the confidence I have in my skills.”
In the co-main event of Canelo-Charlo on Saturday night, 154-pound contender Erickson Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) took home a controversial unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Jesus Ramos Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Lubin won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.
“We went in there to feel him out and box him and beat him to the punch with counters because of his strength,” Lubin said. “It was working all night. I was sticking and moving. It was ‘Boxing 101’.”
Ramos, who outlanded Lubin 145 to 92, thought he did enough to get the win.
“I felt like I did a little more than him, but that’s alright,” said Ramos. “Congratulations to Erickson Lubin. He was sharp. He had a good game plan. Congratulations to him; it’s back to the drawing board. We’ll come back.”
Having previously lost a pair of fights to Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora, Lubin put himself back into contention for another world title fight with the win on Saturday. The 27-year-old’s success came mainly off the back foot as he frequently allowed Ramos to come to him and walked him into counter shots.
Photo: Ryan Hafey/PBC
“My jab was landing all night,” said Lubin. “He had all his success when I was on the ropes. My coach was telling me to stay off the ropes, so I was trying my best to do that. He didn’t show it too much, but I buzzed him a few times.”
Ramos coasted in the final rounds of the fight; he did not keep his foot on the gas, and it cost him, which he said he’ll learn from moving forward.
“It is what it is. I’ll take this loss, come back and learn from it,” he said. “I learned not to let it go to the judges. Maybe I don’t put it on cruise control next time—a little more pressure. I’ll learn from this. It was a good experience.”
Lubin, who threw more punches than Ramos(532 to 499), wants a title shot.
“This shows that I’m no gatekeeper,” said Lubin. “I’m one of the top dogs in the division. I need a title shot. If those belts present themselves at 154 pounds, I’d like to fight for those belts.”
Ramos had this fight and gave it up in the later rounds. He’ll be kicking himself after this loss.
Hard-hitting contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin will look to catapult himself right back to the top of the stacked 154-pound division with an emphatic victory over unbeaten rising sensation Jesus “Mono” Ramos in the Canelo vs. Charlo SHOWTIME PPV co-main event on Saturday, September 30 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo Promotions will present the Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view.
“Ramos is nothing that I haven’t seen before, and on fight night, he’s gonna know that I’m the better man,” said Lubin during a short breather from training camp. “He’s a tough southpaw, but I’ve watched enough to dissect him and go out there and execute in the fight. He’s a good fighter, but he’s not perfect. There are a lot of flaws that I can definitely capitalize on and that’s what I’m going to do on September 30.”
Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) returned from a defeat to Sebastian Fundora in one of 2022’s best fights to stop contender Luis Arias in June and begin another ascent toward a world title shot. Before stepping into the ring for a pivotal matchup on September 30, Lubin spoke extensively about training camp, Ramos, bouncing back from defeat and more:
On his edge in experience and how it could play out in the fight:
“When it comes to ‘A-side’ or ‘B-side’, it doesn’t really matter in this fight. I’m the one with experience. He wants to be in my spot. He’s young, he’s undefeated, he’s been on big undercards and stuff like that. But they must have given him the ‘A-side’ because of his looks or something because I’m really the ‘A-side’ if it comes down to it. He wants to take what I have. On September 30, it’s my job to stop this young boy’s dreams. He bit off more than he can chew too early. This is an important fight for me. I’m going to show the world that I’m not a gatekeeper in this division. I’m one of the top dogs in this division. Being a gatekeeper doesn’t sit well with me. So I’m motivated. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder and it will show on September 30.”
On training camp in South Florida with head trainer Kevin Cunningham:
“We haven’t done too much differently this training camp. The one thing we have done differently is the game plan. Every training camp we give it our all. We train really hard and that’s just the program and system that we live by. I’ve had over 200 rounds of great sparring with young guys and veterans, so I’m sharp.”
On when he first targeted Ramos as a potential opponent:
“I asked for this fight before Ramos fought Joey Spencer. They told me no. I guess he was still growing, but now is the time for him. I’m excited for it. He’s a young lion and I’m going to show him that I’m a young lion with more experience. I’m hungrier than he is. I just want it more.”
On what taking on this challenge says about him as a fighter:
“Look at my resume. It’s been like this from the beginning. They know what type of fighter I am. I feel I’m one of the best in the world and I want to leave my mark on the sport as one of the greatest to ever do it. I could have been fighting a YouTuber and I still would have trained just as hard. I look at every fight as my most important one, especially while I’m right here, close to a title. I still want to avenge my defeats against Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo, but in order to do that, in order to get another world title shot, I’ve got to go out and prove myself. I’ve got to win in a good fashion.”
On how he’s able to bounce back from his defeats:
“I’m strong mentally. I really believe in myself. I know the talent that I have. I’m very talented. My hiccups only made me better. With the Charlo fight, I was a little bit too young. Charlo was fighting in his 30th fight and it was just my 19th. The experience level was different.
“With the Fundora loss, that was a fight I was winning. My trainer had to throw in the towel because of my face. He cares for me beyond boxing. He saw my face swollen and lumped up and he did what he felt was best. We live to fight another day. I came back, went to the drawing board and got better and smarter. Right now, I’m just entering my prime. I’m 27 years old and the best of me will show on September 30. I’m excited, I’m stoked, and I definitely want to show that I’m the best fighter in the division.”
On how important a statement victory is to him:
“I don’t feel that I have to make a statement, but I will make a statement. I’m always motivated to just win. That’s the only objective. But I feel I will make a statement. With the hard training camp that we had with Kevin Cunningham, who is a zero-tolerance type of trainer, he’s drawn up a great game plan and it always works. So I’m definitely going in there, listening to him, and it’s going to be a great night on September 30.”
On what fighting in the co-main event of a pay-per-view mega fight means to him:
“I’ve been waiting for moments like this. I feel like this is going to bring the best out of me. We put in a hard 10 weeks of camp. I just got back from fighting in June. Activity brings the best out of me. This is what I asked for. It’s the big stage and I’m going to show that I’m a very elite fighter. They know I’m elite, but I’m going to show that I’m one of the best in the world and I’m here to stay. I’ve got this young kid in front of me and he wants to take my spot.”
For undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo(35-1-1, 19 KOs), the thought was after his hand injury was healed, he would fight Tim Tszyu. However, an opportunity to fight the biggest name in boxing came calling, undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez(59-2-2, 39 KOs), so now he’s moving up two weight classes to battle Alvarez on September 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas(Showtime PPV).
After kicking off the fight promotion in New York on Tuesday, the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo and undisputed junior middleweight champion Charlo hit the west coast to preview their showdown.
Many thought Jermell’s twin and 160-pound WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo was going to get the fight with Alvarez, but due to issues going on outside the ring, he was not ready, so Jermell got the call, and he says he’s been chasing Alvarez his whole career.
“When I got the call for this fight, there was nothing I could say other than ‘let’s go,’” Charlo said on Wednesday. “My whole career has kind of been all about chasing Canelo. He’s been the top guy for a long time. The fight has presented itself now, and I just have to get in there, do my job, and be the best that I can be.
At 154 pounds, Charlo is a big puncher; he has stopped four out of his last five opponents and believes his power will travel to 168 pounds.
“He’s gonna find out that I’m the big Charlo,” he said. “I am what I say I am. Canelo will see that I pack good punching power, that I have good lateral movement, and that I’m a ring general, just like he is. He’ll see that it won’t be a walk in the park. He says he’s gonna be better in this fight, and it’s the same thing for me.”
The 33-year-old expects to put on a show for the fans in Las Vegas on September 30.
“After September 30, people are gonna appreciate my skills and what I’ve been doing for so long, ever since I was a kid. With every fight, I come to put on a show, and I’m dangerous the whole fight. I want to be known as great.
Charlo(5’11) is taller than Canelo(5’8), but Alvarez looks thicker. The Houston, Texas native is moving up two weight classes, so you have to say advantage Canelo. However, Charlo will not lie down, so expect a great night of boxing.
In the co-main event of Emmanuel Rodriguez-Melvin Lopez(Showtime), which will take place at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland on Saturday night, Capitol Heights, Maryland-native Gary Antuanne Russell will battle fellow unbeaten Kent Cruz in the 10-round super lightweight showdown.
Every time he’s entered the ring, Russell (16-0, 16 KOs) ended the fight with a stoppage, and against Kent (16-0-3, 10 KOs), Russell expects to put on an outstanding performance.
“People are gonna see a Grade-A performance from me on Saturday,” Russell said. “It feels really good to be back. Cruz is gonna bring his physical best, and I’m gonna bring everything I need to put the fire out.”
While knockouts are great, Russell just wants to win.
“My knockout streak is a good thing, but the object of this sport is to continue to win. A knockout would be a notch on my belt, and I plan to get it, but it’s not a weight on my shoulders…
“He can expect pain. It’s the hurt business. Someone’s ‘0’ has got to go. At the end of the day, I’m gonna take my hat off to him and be respectful, but I’m gonna show everyone that I do it for the art. I love this sport.”
The 27-year-old Russell comes from a fighting family that includes former world champion Gary Russell Jr.; Gary Antuanne Russell wants to make his family look good.
“I’m back in my hometown and representing my area,” he said. “If I get good grades, I make the family look good, right? That’s the objective. People are gonna be saying that I’m a beast.
“Pressure busts pipes and makes diamonds. If anything, I’m at ease fighting at home.”
Also on the card, top prospect and Landover, Maryland-native Travon Marshall dueling unbeaten two-time Olympian Gabriel Maestre in the 10-round welterweight telecast opener.
Mexican superstar and pound-for-pound great Canelo Álvarez will defend his undisputed super middleweight world titles in a blockbuster showdown against hard-hitting undisputed junior middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo headlining a SHOWTIME PPV (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) Saturday, September 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo, who’s amassed one of the best resumes of his generation at only 33-years-old, will make the third consecutive defense of his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO super middleweight world titles against the junior middleweight king Charlo in the first matchup of the four-belt era pitting two reigning undisputed champions against each other. With a win, Charlo would add his name alongside legendary champions such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roy Jones Jr. by successfully jumping two weight classes to win a world title.
“We are very excited about this historic matchup under the PBC banner,” said Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s Manager and Trainer. “Our team is very focused on this fight and we have decided to hold a high-altitude training camp to prepare. We have a great champion in Charlo in front of us and this will be an exciting fight because of the styles both fighters bring to the ring.”
Having captured world titles at 154, 160, 168 and 175-pounds, Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) will enter the ring for yet another super fight as he looks to become the first man during the four-belt era to defend all four titles successfully three consecutive times. The fighting pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Canelo became undisputed at super middleweight in November 2021 by taking the IBF belt from then unbeaten Caleb Plant via an 11th-round TKO headlining a SHOWTIME PPV. After dropping a light heavyweight title fight against Dmitriy Bivol in May 2022, Canelo rebounded to defeat Gennadiy Golovkin in their September 2022 trilogy fight before most recently defeating John Ryder in May.
Under the guidance of his renowned coach Reynoso, Canelo has triumphed over a long list of elite fighters since turning pro at just 15-years-old in 2005, including Golovkin twice, plus Shane Mosley, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto and Sergey Kovalev to name a few. Outside of the Bivol fight, Canelo’s only other defeat came against undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather in September 2013.
“I’m very happy that we got to make a fight of this magnitude between two undisputed champions,” said Canelo. “Jermell Charlo has also faced the best in his division, and I’m glad that the fans are going to enjoy a world class fight between us on September 30.”
Houston’s Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) unified the junior middleweight titles in emphatic fashion his last time out, knocking out Brian Castaño in round 10 of their May 2022 rematch, after they fought to a draw in a July 2021 slugfest. The 33-year-old became a unified champion in September 2020, dropping Jeison Rosario three times on his way to an eighth-round knockout that earned him the WBA and IBF titles. Before that fight, Charlo had avenged the only loss of his career as he reclaimed his WBC belt via an 11th-round knockout of Tony Harrison in one of 2019’s best fights.
Charlo is trained by 2022 BWAA “Trainer of the Year” Derrick James in Dallas and won his first world title in his debut fight with James by scoring an eighth-round knockout of John Jackson in 2016. He followed up that victory with three successful defenses, knocking out Erickson Lubin and Charles Hatley, and winning a decision over former world champion Austin Trout. Charlo and his twin brother and two-division champion Jermall, who fight under their Lions Only banner, made history in 2016, becoming the first twins in boxing history to simultaneously hold world championships in the same weight class.
“I’m really excited to make history once again on September 30,” said Charlo. “This is the biggest fight in boxing and I’m coming to leave it all in the ring like I do every time. I manifested this fight into existence and earned it with everything I’ve done in this sport so far. Canelo is a great fighter, but he’s gonna see what Lions Only is all about. When the fight’s over, people are gonna have to recognize that I’m the best fighter in the sport.”
