Jermall Charlo and trainer Ronnie Shields preview Jose Benavidez Jr. fight
Photos from Andrew Hemingway/SHOWTIME
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.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and available at AXS.com.
Here is what Charlo and his trainer Ronnie Shields had to say from training camp in Charlo’s 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.
“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.”
RONNIE SHIELDS, CHARLO’S TRAINER
“I think Jermall Charlo is back. He’s back to where he was two years ago. His attitude is great and he’s really looking forward to training every day.
“Ring rust is ring rust, but this is why we train every day, to get the rust off. I mean, I wish the fight was tomorrow because he’s ready to go.
“I think Jose Jr. brings a lot, especially with his attitude, which is ferocious and that’s a good attitude to have I guess in this business. You know, look, Jose is like his brother David. They are both good fighters and you can say they train hard, and they come to fight. And that’s a good thing. But you know what, we’re looking for a fight.
“I’ve been dissecting everything, absolutely. I know everything about Jose and what we can exploit and everything that I see that he does that I think can work in our favor. So we’re definitely looking at everything. In the end, I think Jermall is going to be too strong.
“Jermall is like a son to me. He’s in a great place right now. He’s with his wife and his kids and really enjoying everything right now. I think it’s that frame of mind that it takes for him to succeed. Now that he has that back and he’s so happy and joyful about everything little thing, that’s a great place for him to be.
“I think Jose Benavidez Jr. is going to come out fast, like he always does and he’s going to try and put on a lot of pressure on ’Mall and try to hit him with things we don’t normally get hit with. But whatever he brings, we got something for him. I think ’Mall’s power is special and we’re going to keep backing him up with the power.”
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