“He Added Lot of Little Reflexes”: Jermall Charlo Details Being Trained by Roy Jones Jr

Whatever the outcome tomorrow, Jermall Charlo will be a winner. Battling the demons is a story in itself. But grinding his way to a comeback is the stuff of legends. The ‘Hitman’ fought his last professional bout on July 19, two years ago. The 33-year-old WBC middleweight champion finally makes a return tomorrow against Jose Benavidez Jr. at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Even though he fought this war alone, the support he received from others was invaluable. Charlo hasn’t forgotten that. Standing on the cusp of a big match, he shared his gratitude with Roy Jones Jr. The ‘Hitman’ and Benavidez Jr. would be slugging it out on the David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade main cards. It will be a ten-round, non-title bout. After the final press conference of the event, while speaking to the media, Charlo spoke at length about the fight and how Jones Jr.’s presence made a lot of difference.

A learner’s gratitude

Thanking the pound-for-pound great, Jermall Charlo revealed how his reactions improved and how he gained a lot of insight from observing him. He said, “Shout out to Roy Jones. He added a lot of little reflexes, and just watching him for so many months and weeks just to see, you know, how he is as a person, I learned a lot from Roy, and um, so much, you know, maybe yeah, maybe the show in the ring that you know, the countless number of hours that we put in together.”

He considers it an honor to be at the event with talented boxers such as David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade. Since he is fighting Benavidez Jr., he also spoke about the rearrangements he had to incorporate into himself. Finally, he seemed content with taking time off to reflect and improve. He said, “I’m happy that you know I took the time off to get better. I know [you’re] going to ask me a lot of questions about that, but, um, I got myself better. I’m here to fight. I’m ready. You know I’ll give you all a lot more action in 24.”

Before the Benavidez Jr. fight, surprisingly, Jermall Charlo’s name first cropped up a few months ago. He would be fighting Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight title. However, as it turned out, it was his twin brother, Jermell Charlo, who finally entered the ring against the Mexican icon.

A fighter and a trainer: Roy Jones Jr.

Before he took up the Jermall Charlo assignment, Roy Jones Jr. was with Chris Eubank Jr. However, the British middleweight brought in Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre roughly four weeks before the Liam Smith rematch. Reportedly speaking to the Sporting Post, he shared his thoughts on his pupil. He said, “He tries so hard to learn the things I’m teaching, and he’s asking the right questions. He’s a hell of a student, and I’m looking forward to him getting his mind back right, improving, and getting back on the right path.”

The boxing great is otherwise still very active in the ring. After drawing an eight-round bout with Mike Tyson at age 54, Jones Jr. returned to the ring to face MMA fighter Anthony Pettis. He lost the fight by a majority decision.

Read More: Jermall Charlo vs. Jose Benavidez Jr. Stats: Age, Height, Weight, Reach, Net Worth, Record, and More

After tomorrow’s fight, do you think Jermall Charlo should resume divisional activity by taking up the mandatory challenger first? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Jermall Charlo vs. Jose Benavidez Jr. Net Worth Comparison: Who is the Richer Boxer?