Khalil Coe wants to make a statement in clash against Manuel Gallegos

On the undercard of the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian 2 event, rising prospect Khalil Coe will face Manuel Gallegos (20-2-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday night, Nov. 9, at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, live on DAZN.

Coe was originally scheduled to fight Gallegos at the same venue earlier this year, but the bout was canceled due to an injury suffered by Gallegos. Coe kept the fight date and went on to fight a boxer trying to bounce back from his first career loss.

Back in July 2024, Kwame Ritter stepped in to replace Gallegos as he entered the ring as an 11-win fighter, with 9 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Ritter planned to get back on track by upsetting Khalil Coe and winning a vacant title belt.

With 2:16 left in the 2nd round, Khalil Coe landed a big right hand and followed it up with a couple of lefts to the body. Coe continued to floor Ritter as he connected with a left uppercut.

Ritter was able to get up, but he looked like a man on borrowed time. Coe pressed forward and hit Ritter with rights and lefts. As Coe continued to beat Ritter around the ring, the referee finally stepped in and stopped the match. With the win, Khalil Coe won the USWBC light heavyweight title.

Now, Jersey City, New Jersey native Khalil Coe (9-0-1, 7 KOs) feels he is ready to take on the contenders in the light heavyweight division. Coe has WBO Interim champion Joshua Buatsi on his radar, but before Coe can focus on Buatsi, he has to take care of some unfinished business on Saturday night.

The last time Manuel Gallegos competed inside the ring, he faced rising 168-pound contender Diego Pacheco in July 2023. In the opening round, Gallegos got off to a good start as he did a good job of pushing forward as he transitioned. levels with the stitch.

Pacheco started to connect with his jab and lead right hand in the 2nd round. Late in the fourth round, Pacheco landed a vicious left to the body that sent Gallegos to the canvas. Gallegos was able to get up, but the match was stopped seconds later when Pacheco took a flurry of punches.

Now, after 16 months of inactivity, Manuel Gallegos will make his return to the ring as a light heavyweight and look to pull off the upset against a well-rounded prospect. Gallegos appreciates the opportunity, and he promises not to let it go to waste.

Khalil “Big Steppa” Coe is a technically sound blue-chip prospect who has that powerful combination of speed and power. Coe feels he is ready to face the top 15 talent, but before he goes to the next level, he must pass the Gallegos test on Saturday night.

In the skill category, Coe has the edge, but in terms of physical attributes, the 6-foot-3-inch Manuel Gallegos will have the height and reach advantages over the 5-foot-10-inch Coe. Manuel Gallegos is a good test for Khalil Coe as he is an aggressive pressure fighter, and on fight night we will see how good Coe is at fighting off the back foot.

28-year-old Khalil Coe is the type of fighter who doesn’t talk a lot of trash, preferring to let his hands do the talking. On Saturday night, Coe wants to make a statement as he predicts the fight will consist of fireworks and a lot of pain.