On the undercard of the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian 2 event, rising prospect Khalil Coe is set to face Manuel Gallegos (20-2-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday night, November 9th, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, live on DAZN.
Coe was originally scheduled to fight Gallegos earlier this year at the same venue, but the bout was canceled due to an injury suffered by Gallegos. Coe kept the fight date and went on to battle a boxer who was trying to bounce back from his first career loss.
Back in July 2024, Kwame Ritter stepped in to replace Gallegos, as he entered the ring as an 11-win fighter, with 9 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Ritter planned to get back on track by upsetting Khalil Coe and winning a vacant title belt.
With 2:16 remaining in the 2nd round, Khalil Coe landed a big right hand and followed it up with a couple of lefts to the body. Coe proceeded to floor Ritter when he connected with a left-hand shot upstairs.
Ritter was able to get up, but he looked like a man on borrowed time. Coe pressed forward and hit Ritter with rights and lefts. As Coe continued to knock Ritter around the ring, the referee finally stepped in and put a halt to the contest. With the victory, Khalil Coe won the USWBC light-heavyweight title.
Now, the Jersey City, New Jersey native Khalil Coe (9-0-1, 7 KOs) feels he’s ready to take on the contenders in the light-heavyweight division. Coe has the WBO Interim champion Joshua Buatsi on his radar, but before Coe can focus on Buatsi, he must first take care of some unfinished business on Saturday night.
The last time Manuel Gallegos competed inside the ring, he faced the fast-rising 168-pound contender Diego Pacheco back in July 2023. In the opening round, Gallegos got off to a decent start as he did a good job of pressing forward while changing levels with the jab.
Pacheco began to connect with his jab and the lead right hand in the 2nd round. Late in the fourth round, Pacheco landed a vicious left to the body that sent Gallegos down to the canvas. Gallegos was able to get up, but the contest was stopped seconds later when Pacheco landed a flurry of punches.
Now, after 16 months of inactivity, Manuel Gallegos will make his return to the ring as a light-heavyweight and attempt to pull off the upset against a well-rounded prospect. Gallegos is appreciative of the opportunity, and he vows to not let it go to waste.
Khalil “Big Steppa” Coe is a technically sound blue-chip prospect who has that potent combination of speed and power. Coe feels he’s ready to face top 15 talent, but before he goes to the next level, he has to pass the Gallegos test on Saturday night.
In the skills category Coe has the edge, but as far as physical attributes, the 6 foot 3 inch Manuel Gallegos will have the height and reach advantages over the 5 foot 10 inch Coe. Manuel Gallegos is a good test for Khalil Coe because he’s an aggressive pressure fighter, and on fight night we will see how good Coe is in regards to fighting off the back foot.
The 28-year-old Khalil Coe is the type of fighter who doesn’t talk a lot of trash because he prefers to let his hands do the talking. On Saturday night, Coe wants to make a statement as he predicts the fight will consist of fireworks and a lot of pain.
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