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By: Hans Themistode
If Jermall Charlo gets his hands on David Benavidez, he’s as confident as ever that the outcome won’t be a pretty one for the former super middleweight belt holder.
Charlo, 30, has spent the past several months calling for a showdown between the pair. Despite campaigning one weight class lower, Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) has offered to either face Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) at a catchweight or, simply move up completely to the 168-pound division.
Although the 24-year-old is fresh off a one-sided beating against Ronald Ellis this past weekend, stopping him in the 11th round, Charlo noticed several holes in his game.
“Let’s make that fight happen,” said Charlo on the Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer. “I’m a knock his little punk a*s out. I promise that. I put that on everything I love. I’ll give him about four rounds, five rounds, six rounds, no more. He gets hit too much. I’m powerful, I’ll explode on him trust me.”
Supremely interested in the bout himself, Benavidez has tabbed Charlo as the fighter he wants to face above all others. Currently, the Houston native is without a dance partner. He has sat idly by since his win over Sergey Derevyanchenko in September of 2020.
What was thought to be the most difficult contest of his career, turned into one of his easier ones as Charlo pounded the perennial contender over the course of 12 rounds. Following the victory, Charlo has shouted for Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin to take him on next.
Noticing that neither showdown seems likely for the immediate future, Charlo has turned his attention towards Benavidez.
Not one to back down from a challenge, the 24-year-old knockout artist has not only pursued a Charlo showdown but he has set a date of September as when he would like to step into the ring with him.
For Charlo, he appears to be all for making their contest a reality. Much like his moniker of “Lions Only” the former two-division world champion wants to remind everyone, including Benavidez that it isn’t just a nickname but more so a way of life.
“I do my thing, I been doing this all my life. Put me in there, I’m a lion bro, let’s get it.”
