Jose Benavidez Sr. is deeply protective of his sons. When asked why his older son, his namesake, lost his fight to Jermall Charlo, Senior Benavidez suggested that he would not make any reasons for the loss. However, in a switch second, he continued to do exactly that.

In November last year, Charlo, who had sought a sabbatical for about two years, marked his comeback. With very little preparation, as he claimed, he clashed with Jose Benavidez Jr. as a co-headliner to the latter’s younger brother’s fight against Demetrius Andrade. In a turn of events, Benavidez Jr. was left stumped and Charlo won his comeback fight via a unanimous decision. A few months later, when asked to analyze what went wrong, his father, Senior Benavidez, cites a reason that many concur with.

Jose Benavidez Jr. vs. Jermall Charlo was on the verge of being called off

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, the combat trainer spoke about the weight discrepancies presented by his son’s opponent that could have possibly led to Benavidez Jr.’s loss. He noted, “Well, not to make any excuses but we were supposed to fight at 160, then they came up and said they wanted to fight at 165. We agreed to 163, and then when we went there, this guy almost fought at 168.” Ahead of the fight, at the weigh-ins, it was reported that ‘Hit Man’ had come in 3.4 pounds heavier than the 163-pound limit. While Senior advised his son to not go ahead with the fight, Benavidez Jr., undertook the fight.

Senior added, “Junior’s a warrior you know? He doesn’t care about nothing, he walks at 160 and uh, but once we got there, either we fight this guy or take the chance, you know? Junior took the chance. He did that. He was heavier than him. He tried his best but the weight man, you know, it was too much weight for him.”

Since there were no titles at stake, the weight discrepancies did not hinder the clash. However, if Junior had objected to Charlo’s increased weight, the fight would have been called off, something that most expected.

However, that did not happen. Jermall Charlo, after a two-year-long absence from the ring, defeated Jose Benavidez Jr., in a bid to reignite his boxing career. Despite his loss, at the end of the night, Benavidez Jr. went home with his head held high, a graceful conceder.

‘Merciless’ looks beyond weight discrepancies

To Boxing Scene, ‘Merciless’ gracefully accepted his loss and decided to overlook the weight difference between him and his opponent. Right after the fight, in a byte, the 31-year-old explained, “He’s a good fighter. I’m not going to make any excuses.”

“I came to fight. He said he was going to back me up and I didn’t back up. I kept coming forward. The best man won tonight. It’s boxing. I thought it was way closer than [what] the judges said it was. At the end of the day, I lost, and I’m not going to make any excuses. I don’t know if his extra weight had anything to do with it. Maybe. Maybe not. I came prepared. I gave my best,” he admitted.

Also Read: Boxing News: Jose Benavidez Sr. Reveals Plans for David Benavidez’s Return in 2024

With three losses in his kitty now, it remains uncertain as to who the PBC fighter will take on next. Will it be a much more challenging fight than the Jermall Charlo one? Who do you think it should be? Let us know in the comments section below.

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