Jermall Charlo says he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez next year if everything goes smoothly with his fights againt Thomas LaManna and Caleb Plant. The former two-division world champion Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) is returning from a two-year layoff this Saturday, May 31st, against LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KOs) at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
If everything goes well for Charlo, 35, he’ll fight Plant next in the summer if he wins his tune-up on Saturday against middleweight Armando Resendiz. Jermall says he wants to “Make tons of money and tons of wealth” in this latest comeback.
Charlo’s LaManna, Plant Path
“I’m happy to put my undefeated record on the line and show the world why I’m one of the greats,” said Jermall Charlo to Fight Hub TV about his comeback this Saturday against Thomas LaManna. “I just want to get the Caleb Plant fight out of the way. I don’t want to take too long with the Canelo fight. He’s made so much money.”
Canelo may retire if Terence Crawford beats him on September 13th or after a second fight. He’s not going to stay around to absorb consecutive defeats, which may happen against Terence. It’s unlikely that Charlo will get that far because he would need to defeat Caleb for him to be considered as an opponent for the Mexican star.
“He still has Terence Crawford to worry about. That could be next year sometime,” said Jermall, when asked about his hit list. After that, I really don’t know. I’ll fight one of those guys. The Munguia guy that fought Canelo. I really don’t know those guys. I don’t know what’s next.”
The fights that will be available to Charlo will depend on the outcome of his comeback clash against LaMann on Saturday and whether he wins his fight against Caleb Plant. If Jermall is victorious in those two contests, he’s got a good chance of fighting Canelo.
Jermall’s Perspective & Goals
“The people that we can make tons of money and tons of wealth with. Just get back in the ring and show that I’m the best in the world,” said Charlo. “I’m bigger now. I don’t think my body at this age is ready to go fight and break myself down and get myself down to 154 and 160. My new competitive weight is 168. I just happened to fall in their weight class. Now I’m part of their weight class.”
Jermall could have made a lot of money in 2023 when Canelo offered him a fight. Instead, he bowed out and let his brother, Jermell, take it, and he hasn’t been seen since. Charlo must take advantage of the situation with this latest comeback and take the biggest fights he can when they’re offered. He’s supposed to be fighting Caleb Plant next if they both win on Saturday.
“I want to be a lot more active,” said Jermall when asked what he wants to accomplish this year. “I’m like a vet now. This win is like a birthday for me.”
It’s easier said than done for Charlo to stay active because he’s twice taken two-year layoffs in the last four years. It’s pretty clear that he’s not really motivated enough to stay active and will likely continue to take extended breaks after each fight. That’s a pity because he’ll be 37 if he takes another two-year break after Saturday’s fight. By then, it’ll likely be too late for him to get a fight against Alvarez.
Last Updated on 05/27/2025
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