Jermall Charlo will fight Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna at super middleweight on the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach undercard on December 14th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
LaManna (38-5-1, 17 KOs) isn’t a top-tier contender at 168 and is mostly known to fans for his first-round knockout loss to Erislandy Lara on May 1, 2021. Since then, LaManna has won his last eight fights against obscure lower-level opposition that even hardcore boxing fans have never heard of.
LaManna’s credentials have gotten the attention of Jermall Charlo, who will be using him to get the ring rust out from a long layoff. This fight has a dual purpose for Jermall because it’s a great showcase opportunity for him to look like gold in the eyes of the fans, as he’ll score an early knockout in the first few rounds.
If Jermall looks good in his fight against LaManna, he’ll get selected by three-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez for his next fight in May 2025. Canelo wanted to fight Jermall in 2023, but he wasn’t ready to go then. Instead, his twin brother, Jermell Charlo, took the fight with Canelo and performed terribly in a one-sided 12-round unanimous loss.
At this point in his career, Mexican superstar Canelo is focusing on only sure-thing fights against well-known but relatively harmless opponents. Jermall would fit that category quite nicely if he looks good against LaManna on December 14th.
Former two-division world champion Jermall (33-0, 22 KOs) had been mentioned as fighting Demetrius Andrade next on the Tank-Roach undercard on December 14th, but that’s changed.
In hindsight, it was too much to hope for fans to believe the 34-year-old Jermall would take a risky fight against the slick boxer/puncher Andrade coming off a year-long layoff since his last fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. on November 25, 2023.
Charlo has been too inactive in the last three years, fighting just once, for him to face a talented fighter like the former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade.
Jermall Charlo’s Inactivity
Thomas LaManna: 13 months
Jose Benavidez Jr: 29 months
Y’all bout to be maddd 🤣🤣 #Dec14 #darkplaces
— Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (@Cornflakeboxing) October 10, 2024
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