LAS VEGAS – November 1, 2023 – Undefeated WBC Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo will battle exciting contender José Benavídez Jr. in a 10-round non-title WBC special event in the co-main event of a stacked SHOWTIME PPV undercard on Saturday, November 25 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The pay-per-view will also see hard-hitting IBF 140-pound world champion Subriel Matías against unbeaten mandatory challenger Shohjahon Ergashev, plus WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Héctor Luis Garcia duels top-rated mandatory challenger Lamont Roach in the telecast opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The event is headlined by undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavídez defending his Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title against unbeaten two-division world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade in one of the most intriguing matchups in the star-studded 168-pound division.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and available at AXS.com.
“Boxing fans will get a full feast of action on November 25 with three high-stakes fights leading up to the SHOWTIME PPV main event between David Benavídez and Demetrius Andrade,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Jermall Charlo will look to show why he’s the top middleweight in the world against the highly-motivated José Benavídez Jr., while champions Subriel Matías and Héctor Luis Garcia will enter the ring seeking to hold off fast-rising mandatory challengers Shohjahon Ergashev and Lamont Roach. From start to finish, fans watching on pay-per-view and at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas are in for a memorable night where every bout could truly steal the show.”
The 33-year-old Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) will return from a layoff of over two years, having held the WBC middleweight belt since 2019 with a run that includes a dominant victory over top middleweight contender Sergey Derevyanchenko in their September 2020 showdown. Charlo’s 160-pound victories have come after a championship reign at 154-pounds that lasted from 2015 through 2017. He has compiled a perfect 7-0 record since moving up to middleweight and owns victories over former champions Julian Williams, Austin Trout and Cornelius Bundrage at super welterweight, with both Williams and Bundrage succumbing to highlight-reel KO defeats.
“It’s been a long road to this point, but only the strong survive and I’m built different,” said Charlo. “I’m looking forward to reminding everyone that there is a reason why Jermall Charlo is an undefeated world champion and one of the best fighters today pound-for-pound. This is the next chapter of my life and it’s going to be my best, so I want all my fans to tune in on November 25, because I’m going to light up Las Vegas.”
Phoenix’s Benavídez (28-2-1, 19 KOs) is the older brother of headliner David Benavídez and is trained by his father José Sr. A long-established contender who was a highly decorated amateur, Benavídez moved up to super welterweight after dropping a 2018 world title challenge to Terence Crawford, concluding a long run at 147 pounds. He moved up to 154 pounds in July 2022, battling two-division champion Danny Garcia for 12 rounds before losing by a close majority decision. Benavídez made his 160 pound debut in August, blasting out veteran Sladan Janjanin in round five.
“I’ve been working hard and I feel strong and ready to take him out,” said Benavídez. “I’ve been wanting to fight Charlo for a while. I’m going to come that night and show him what I’m about. But I’m not here trying to use words. I don’t need to say anything. I’m going to let my fists do the talking in the ring on November 25.”
The 31-year-old Matías (19-1, 19 KOs) captured the IBF 140-pound championship in February, stopping the previously unbeaten Jeremias Ponce after five rounds of fast-paced, back-and-forth action on SHOWTIME®. Matías has shown that his power lasts throughout a fight, as his last seven victories have come via stoppage in round five or later. The lone loss of his career came against Petros Ananyan via 10-round unanimous decision in 2020 and was later avenged. Matías, of Farjado, Puerto Rico, faced two unbeaten boxers after the loss, defeating Malik Hawkins and Batyrzhan Jukembayev by stoppage. In the rematch with Ananyan, Matías emerged victorious by ninth-round TKO, methodically wearing his opponent down and exhausting him before dropping him and ending the action.
“I would always rather let my hands do the talking inside of the ring, but I’m very excited for this fight,” said Matías. “This is a great opportunity to be a part of a big event in Las Vegas. I had my only loss there, so I’m going to avenge that defeat on November 25 and show everyone that Subriel Matias is here to stay. I’m dedicating this fight to my hometown of Maternillo and the people of Puerto Rico.”
Born in Uzbekistan and now fighting out of Detroit under the tutelage of renowned trainer SugarHill Steward, Ergashev (23-0, 20 KOs) has dominated his competition since turning pro in 2015, earning his shot at the world title. After the 31-year-old made his U.S. debut in late 2017, he stopped the previously unbeaten Sonny Fredrickson in three rounds in January 2018 in his second bout stateside. He’d follow that up in 2019 by winning a unanimous decision over Mykal Fox, handing him the first defeat of his career. Ergashev most recently scored a pair of victories in 2022, shutting out Luis Alberto Veron on his way to a unanimous decision in May, before stopping Angel Martinez Hernandez in the fifth round in August.
“It’s been a long journey to finally get this opportunity to fight for the world title,” said Ergashev. “On Thanksgiving weekend I will make the whole journey worthwhile. The U.S.A. is the land of opportunity and I want to thank my team for always believing in me. It’s also exciting to be fighting with SHOWTIME, where I’ve had many fights throughout my career. With my trainers Sugarhill Steward and Theo Chambers in my corner, history will be made November 25 and Uzbekistan will finally have a world champion.”
García (16-1, 10 KOs) followed up his spectacular 2022 in January by challenging boxing superstar Gervonta Davis for his lightweight world title on SHOWTIME PPV, giving Davis a competitive bout before losing in round nine. García has fought professionally since December of 2016 after a stellar amateur career that included representing his native Dominican Republic in the 2016 Olympics and a runner-up finish at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto. Now training in Las Vegas under the watchful eye of respected trainer Bob Santos, García scored one of the biggest upsets of 2022 , dropping and defeating then unbeaten Chris Colbert in February of that year. Nearly six months later, García captured the world title with a one-sided unanimous decision over incumbent Roger Gutierrez in August.
“I’m happy to be back returning to the ring and fighting at my natural weight,” said Garcia. “I’m really looking forward to getting in there and defending my title against Lamont Roach. He’s a tough opponent, but I’m at my best at super featherweight and I’ll be ready for everything he brings. I’m having a great training camp and I can’t wait to show the world the adjustments I’ve made since the Gervonta Davis fight.”
The 28-year-old Roach (23-1-1, 9 KOs) enters this fight on a four-bout winning streak, earning his position at 130 pounds by defeating Angel Rodriguez via unanimous decision in their July 2022 title eliminator. Roach’s current run comes after he dropped a November 2019 130-pound world title fight via decision against Jamel Herring. A native of Washington, D.C., Roach began his pro career in 2014 with 16straight victories following an impressive amateur run that included a 2013 National Golden Gloves Championship and the honor of being named USA Boxing’s Most Outstanding Boxer.
“He couldn’t run for long, but we’re finally here,” said Roach. “I’m extremely excited for this fight and this opportunity. The world is going to get used to their new world champion and it starts when I get my hand raised on November 25.”
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