Charlo planning Dec. 14 return, could face LaManna

Jermall Charlo last fought in November 2023 and has since been stripped of the WBO middleweight title

Jake Donovan reports that disgraced former WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo will return on PBC’s December 14th Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr show in his hometown of Houston, Texas.

Charlo (33-0, 22 KO) enjoyed some of the most blatant favoritism in recent memory when Mauricio Sulaiman, almost certainly chasing the sanctioning fee of a Canelo fight, allowed him to go nearly three years without defending his belt. Charlo took a decision over Juan Macias Montien in June 2021, sat out for two and a half years, badly missed weight in a catchweight fight with Jose Benavidez Jr, and still kept his title until a May arrest for DWI.

Per Donovan, Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (38-5-1, 17 KO) is “among the leading candidates” to welcome him back to the ring. LaManna has won eight straight since a 2-3 skid saw him stopped in five by Jorge Cota, beaten on the cards by Brian Mendoza, and smoked in 80 seconds by Erislandy Lara. His biggest victory in that span came over Juan Carlos Abreu in June.

Donovan claims this will be at a catchweight. For the record, LaManna regularly makes the middleweight limit with room to spare,