On Saturday, October 17th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Jermall Charlo (pictured) will battle Australia's Koen Mazoudier in a super middleweight bout in support of Sebastian Fundora's 154-pound title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj. The show will be the fourth installment of the live monthly boxing series “The Fight”, broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN. Charlo and Mazoudier were originally scheduled to meet in July but Charlo was denied a visa to go to Australia. A native of Houston, Charlo first joined the ranks of boxing champions in 2015 with a knockout of Cornelius Bundrage. He went on to defend his 154-pound title three times, including stopping then-undefeated Julian Williams in December 2016. Now 36 years old, Charlo then began a middleweight run that saw him earn the WBC championship and add victories over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Matt Korobov and Hugo Centeno Jr. Trained throughout his career by the renowned Ronnie Shields, Charlo’s recent resume also includes a 2023 unanimous decision triumph over Jose Benavidez Jr. Here is what Charlo, a former two-division champion, had to say to the press last week:
“I’m staying strong and staying motivated. It’s been a long camp for me. This is my second time fighting at the Cosmo and I’m ready to get it going. Fighting in Las Vegas is just like fighting at home for me.
“I’m making a statement. If he makes a wrong move, then I’m gonna send him back to Australia on his back.
“There’s nothing he can do about what’s coming. He has to come here and prove me wrong. I haven’t let you down yet. I’m undefeated and I’m looking to get a title in a third weight class.
“I’ve seen just about every style throughout my career. I’m not overlooking him, but he’s gonna have to show me something I haven’t seen before.
“The other fighters in the division know who I am and they know what I possess. It’s just a matter of getting those guys in the ring to make history. That’s what I’m here for.
“Ronnie Shields always keeps me poised. He’s not just my coach, he’s like a teacher. He’s a father-figure for me. He’s legendary and he’s teaching me how to be legendary.
“I’m hungry for more activity. It’s just one of those things. I’m taking things slowly but surely. I’m here and I’m ready.
“I’m more focused now. With experience and age comes power. Fans are gonna see that. I’m staying focused and staying grounded.”
