PBC Unveils Explosive Lineup: Charlo vs. Benavidez Jr. Tops Stacked Card in Las Vegas
Exciting news from PBC as they officially announce a sizzling matchup featuring Jermall Charlo squaring off against Jose Benavidez Jr. in a ten-round middleweight clash. The showdown is set to ignite the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 25th. But that's not all, as this bout will headline the undercard for the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade showdown, available on Showtime pay-per-view. Fans are in for a treat with a card loaded with thrilling fights, ensuring they get full value for their money.
For Jose Benavidez Jr., this bout presents a golden opportunity to secure the most significant win of his career against Jermall Charlo, who was once hailed as a future star before a series of setbacks, including injuries, personal issues, and inactivity, stalled his career. Back in October 2018, Benavidez Jr. gave Terence Crawford a tough fight, going down in the twelfth round but making Crawford work much harder than he did in his recent bout against Errol Spence Jr.
The fight has captured the curiosity of many fans who want to witness how WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) fares against Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-2-1, 19 KOs) over ten intense rounds. Jose Jr., though, lacks the size, speed, power, and combination-punching prowess of his younger brother David Benavidez, making this an intriguing matchup. It's an unusual pairing, with the disparity in size and strength between a career welterweight like Benavidez Jr. and the much larger and stronger Jermall, reflecting the evolving landscape of fighters disregarding traditional weight divisions by moving up and down.
The outcome remains uncertain, especially considering Benavidez Jr.'s ability to give former two-division world champion Danny Garcia a run for his money, losing a close and contested twelve-round majority decision in their clash last year in July. To secure victory, Jermall Charlo must bring his A-game, especially given his previous lackluster performance against Juan Macias Montiel 28 months ago. Another subpar showing could spell disaster for his career, erasing any hopes of a potential showdown with Canelo Alvarez (not that it seems likely at this point) and jeopardizing future lucrative matchups against the winner of the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade fight.
The undercard also features a thrilling contest between IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) and the unbeaten Shohjahon Ergashev (23-0, 20 KOs). This clash promises fireworks, with both fighters known for their power and a willingness to go toe-to-toe.
Matias, while not renowned for his defensive skills, boasts exceptional power and an inclination for action-packed encounters. In his most recent bout, he delivered a fifth-round knockout against Jeremias Ponce last May. Ergashev, a southpaw, has been inactive since his fifth-round knockout of Angel Martinez Hernandez in August of the previous year. One of the highlights of Ergashev's career was his victory over Luis Alberto Veron.
Adding to the excitement, WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs) will defend his title for the first time since capturing it in August of last year against Roger Gutierrez. Hector's championship reign was momentarily sidetracked as he pursued the WBA 'regular' lightweight title, challenging champion Gervonta Davis last January but succumbing to a ninth-round stoppage.
Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming event, stating, "Jermall Charlo will look to show why he's the top middleweight in the world against the highly-motivated José Benavídez Jr., while champions Subriel Matías and Héctor Luis García will enter the ring seeking to hold off fast-rising mandatory challengers Shohjahon Ergashev and Lamont Roach."