Jermall Charlo ended his 29-month layoff in methodical, successful fashion Saturday night.
The unbeaten WBC middleweight champion shed his ring rust by using his jab and a sustained body attack to defeat Jose Benavidez Jr. by unanimous decision in their 10-round super middleweight match at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena. The heavily favored Charlo won by big margins on the scorecards of judges Max De Luca (100-90), Dave Moretti (99-91) and Zachary Young (98-92).
Charlo improved to 33-0 (22 KOs). Phoenix’s Benavidez (28-3-1, 19 KOs) landed plenty of punches during their bout, but he didn’t have enough power to hurt Charlo, whose chin has always been one of his greatest strengths.
Charlo, 33, fought for the first time since he defeated Mexican contender Juan Macias Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) by unanimous decision in June 2021 at Toyota Center in Charlo’s hometown of Houston.
Charlo caused controversy Friday by weighing in 3½ pounds above their contracted catch weight of 163 pounds. The WBC middleweight champion officially weighed 166.4 pounds – five full pounds more than Benavidez, who came in at a career-high 161.2 pounds.
Their representatives came to an agreement to move forward with their fight once Charlo paid penalties out of his purse to Benavidez.
Despite his trouble making weight, Charlo remained a 6-1 favorite Saturday according to BetMGM sportsbook. Before he entered the ring to battle Charlo, the 31-year-old Benavidez had gone 1-1-1 in just three appearances during the five years since undisputed welterweight champ Terence Crawford stopped him in the 12th round of their October 2018 fight for Crawford’s WBO 147-pound championship at CHI Health Center in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
While way behind on the scorecards, Benavidez talked trash to Charlo in the opening minute of the 10th and final round. Charlo responded with words of his own as he threw punches at Benavidez.
Charlo stunned Benavidez with a right hand that backed Benavidez into the ropes with about 45 seconds to go in their fight. About 20 seconds later, referee Harvey Dock grabbed Charlo, spun him around and warned him for rule-breaking tactics while he tried to separate from a clinch.
Charlo blasted Benavidez with a hard left to his head that made him stumble with about 10 seconds to go in the ninth round. Charlo clocked Benavidez with a left hook just after the midway mark of the ninth round.
Benavidez lunged and landed a left hook with just over 30 seconds to go in the eighth round. Charlo had mostly controlled the eighth round with his jab before Benavidez landed that shot.
A jarring jab by Charlo stopped Benavidez in his tracks with just under 25 seconds remaining in the seventh round. Charlo unloaded a combination to Benavidez’s body with just over a minute remaining in the seventh round.
Charlo’s left uppercut landed at the end of a combination with over 40 seconds to go in the sixth round. Charlo drilled Benavidez with a left hand out of a clinch with about 1:40 left in the sixth round.
Benavidez unloaded a barrage of punches, including a right that snapped back Charlo’s head, while Charlo was against the ropes, near Benavidez’s corner, with just over a minute to go in the fifth round. Charlo took those punches without incident and moved the fight back to the center of the ring.
Charlo straight right nailed Benavidez with about 1:45 to go in the fifth round. Dock warned Benavidez for hitting Charlo low about 35 seconds into the fifth round.
Dock warned Benavidez and his trainer/father, Jose Benavidez Sr., because he hit Charlo after the fourth round ended, when Dock was trying to separate them.
Charlo clipped Benavidez with a left uppercut with just over 1:40 remaining in the fourth round. Charlo’s counter left hook knocked Benavidez off balance about 55 seconds into the fourth round.
Charlo caught Benavidez with a right hand that made Benavidez initiate a clinch with about 40 seconds on the clock in the third round. Charlo’s thudding right landed to Benavidez’s body with about 50 seconds remaining in the third round.
An aggressive Benavidez landed two left hooks that made Charlo spin out of trouble about 15 seconds into the third round.
Charlo’s jab was effective during the second round he mostly controlled. A right uppercut by Charlo connected about 55 seconds into the second round.
About 20 seconds into the second round, Benavidez unleashed a flurry of punches when Charlo was backed into the ropes. None of those shots seemed to affect Charlo.
Charlo drilled Benavidez with a right hand that hurt him and moved him backward with just over 30 seconds remaining in the first round. Charlo connected with a counter left when there was about a minute to go in the first round.
