Jermell Charlo returns at 166 pounds

The Benavidez victory

Jermell Charlo scored a ten round unanimous decision over Jose Benavidez Jr at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. This victory occurred on the Benavidez-Andrade card. The 35-year-old Charlo, who carries a record of 35-2-1 with 19 knockouts, weighed 166.4 pounds for the contest, which exceeded the 163 pound catch weight set for the bout against Benavidez. Benavidez, a career welterweight with a record of 28-3-1 and 19 knockouts, fought at the 163 pound limit. The judges scored the bout 98-92, 99-91, and 100-90 in favor of Charlo. Charlo dominated most rounds with mean jabs and creative punches, but he lacked the power to stop the aggressive Benavidez. Benavidez showed a decent chin and survived until being wobbled in the tenth round. You probably expected more finishing ability from a former undisputed champion coming off a nearly 2.5 year layoff. Charlo, a natural middleweight, entered the ring over 3 pounds above the catch weight, and some observers believe he was close to 170 pounds when he stepped into the ring. Charlo was more than 7 pounds heavier than Benavidez. Benavidez was outboxed, but he put up a valiant effort. Charlo has struggled with mental health and legal issues outside the ring during his time away from the sport. This performance was underwhelming.

The 154 pound hierarchy

The sanctioning bodies currently hold conflicting stances on the 154 pound division hierarchy. The WBA and WBC named Charlo "champion in recess" following his September 30 loss to Canelo Alvarez. That loss at super middleweight saw Charlo struggle against the much stronger Mexican star at the T-Mobile Arena. The WBO recognizes Tim Tszyu as the full champion after elevating him from interim status last month. Tszyu, the son of Hall-of-Famer Kostya Tszyu, holds a record of 26-3 and 18 knockouts. He previously won the WBO interim super-welterweight title by defeating Carlos Ocampo and has defeated Anthony Velazquez and Joey Spencer. Tszyu scheduled a fight against Denis Nurja for April 5 at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Australia. Mendoza, the WBC interim champion, recently achieved a knockout win over Sebastian Fundora in April. The IBF enforced a mandatory title defense between Charlo and Bakhram Murtazaliev, which forces Charlo to fight the Russian or relinquish his title.

Charlo’s path forward

Charlo maintains that "154 is mine until I’m finished" through a social media post. This statement follows a 29-month layoff and a lopsided defeat at the hands of Canelo Alvarez. Charlo previously attained undisputed status in May 2022 by knocking out Brian Castano in a rematch to obtain the WBO super-welterweight belt. Charlo also won the WBC super welterweight title in 2016 by defeating John Jackson, and his record includes victories over fighters such as Erickson Lubin and Austin Trout. The WBO mandated Charlo to fight Tszyu before September 30, but that bout failed to eventuate. Lou DiBella suggests that Charlo must travel to Australia to fight Tszyu in a stadium to prove he remains a legitimate championship caliber fighter. Critics argue Charlo avoids high-level opponents, especially since he could not stop Benavidez after being inactive for 40 months. If Charlo loses his IBF strap, the promotional value of a future fight with Terence Crawford decreases. Charlo’s career at 154 pounds rests on whether he can handle the rising pressure from fighters like Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora. Does Charlo still have the capacity to compete at the top of the 154 pound division?