Jermall Charlo will face Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna at super middleweight on the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach undercard fights at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
LaManna (38-5-1, 17 KOs) is not a top contender at 168 and is mostly known to fans for his first-round knockout loss to Erislandy Lara on May 1, 2021. Since then, LaManna has had his last eight fights against obscure lower-tier -opposition that even hardcore boxing fans have never heard of.
LaManna’s credentials have caught the attention of Jermall Charlo, who will use him to get the ring rust out of a long layoff. This fight has a dual purpose for Jermall as it is a great opportunity for him to look like gold in the eyes of the fans as he will score an early knockout in the first few rounds.
If Jermall looks good in his fight against LaManna, he will be picked by three-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez for his next fight in May 2025. Canelo wanted to fight Jermall in 2023, but he wasn’t ready to go then. Instead, his twin brother, Jermell Charlo, took the fight to Canelo and fared terribly in a one-sided 12-round unanimous decision loss.
At this point in his career, Mexican superstar Canelo is only focusing on certain fights against well-known but relatively harmless opponents. Jermall will fit into that category if he looks good against LaManna on December 14th.
Former two-division world champion Jermall (33-0, 22 KOs) was named next up against Demetrius Andrade on the Tank-Roach undercard on Dec. 14, but that was changed.
In retrospect, it was too much to hope for fans to believe that the 34-year-old Jermall would take on a risky fight against the slick boxer/puncher Andrade who was coming off a year-long layoff following his last fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. on November. 25, 2023.
Charlo has been too inactive for the past three years, fighting just once, for him to face a talented fighter like former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade.
Jermall Charlo’s inactivity
Thomas LaManna: 13 months
Jose Benavidez Jr.: 29 months
You guys are going to be crazy 🤣🤣 # December 14th #dark places
— Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (@Cornflakeboxing) October 10, 2024
