BY Norm Frauenheim –
LAS VEGAS – The Jose Benavidez Jr.-Jermall Charlo fight was still on late Friday, saved by a deal reached after Charlo failed to make weight.
Charlo, who was three-plus pounds heavier than the contracted 163-pound catchweight at the official weigh-in Friday morning, was fined $75,000-a-pound, multiple sources told 15 Rounds.
It wasn’t clear how much of that money went to Benavidez’ purse in an agreement that also included the Nevada Athletic Commission and promoters.
The size of the purses for both Benavidez and Charlo weren’t known. The Nevada Commission no longer discloses them.
Charlo faces further fines – for an undisclosed amount — if he is heavier than 176 pounds at another weigh-in scheduled for Saturday morning, according to Jose Benavidez Sr., father/trainer for Jose Jr. and super-middleweight contender David Benavidez.
David faces Demetrius Andrade in the main event after the Benavidez Jr.-Charlo fight at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Showtime’s final pay-per-view card (5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET).
Both David and Andrade came in under the super-middleweight’s 168-pound mandatory, David at 167.0 and Andrade at 167.6
“I’m very upset,’’ the senior Benavidez told 15 Rounds backstage at Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues after a mock weigh-in before a roaring crowd a few hours after the official weigh-in.
Benavidez’ father was not surprised that Charlo failed to make weight. But he was angered at how much heavier Charlo was.
“I thought maybe it would be a pound,’’ he said.
But it was more than three times more than that. Behind closed doors and under the Nevada Commission’s regulation, Charlo first stepped on the scale at 166.4 pounds. The second time he stepped on the scale, he was heavier – 166.6.
Benavidez’ dad would only say that he negotiated a stiff fine in an effort to ensure that Charlo would not come in heavy.
In bargaining, he said, Charlo said he wanted a catchweight at “166 or 167.’’ Benavidez said he refused. Eventually, they agreed on 163.
“This is my son,’’ he said. “I’m here to protect him.’’
Jose Jr. weighed in at 161.2 pounds Friday morning. Before the controversial weigh-in, he was already at a heavy disadvantage against Charlo, a 160-pound champion who has held the World Boxing Council’s middleweight title despite not fighting for more than two years.
The 31-year-old Jose Jr., held a secondary title at 140 pounds. He then fought at 147, including a competitive loss to pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who was on stage for Friday’s weigh-in. Crawford stopped Jose Jr. in the twelfth and final round of a competitive bout in Omaha 2018.
Jose Jr. is not expected to be much heavier than he was at Friday’s weigh-in. Even if he stays at 161.2 pounds and Charlo is at the negotiated limit of 176 Saturday morning, Charlo would outweigh the Phoenix-born fighter by 14.8 pounds.
“I told my son not to do it,’’ his dad said. “I told him not to fight. But he really wants to fight. He’s determined. Really motivated. So, we’re going to fight.’’
After the ritual face-off after the mock weigh-in, Jose Jr. left little doubt about that. He tried to step through and around security that stood between him and Charlo.
Finally, the weigh-in show moderator stuck a microphone in his face.
“I’m going to knock his ass out,’’ Jose Jr., yelled, leaving echoes that only an opening bell can silence.
