Jermall Charlo was set to make his comeback against Koen Mazoudier on October 17, on a card headlined by Sebastian Fundora vs. Ermal Hadribeaj. Just as the hype surrounding Charlo’s return began building, it came crashing down when news of an injury ruled the former two-division champion out of the fight just weeks before the event.
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The Ring Magazine reported Charlo’s setback, confirming the injury in a social media post.
“Jermall Charlo has injured himself at training camp, leading to his withdrawal from his Oct. 17 return against Koen Mazoudier, sources tell The Ring,” The Ring Magazine posted on X.
So far, the exact reason for Jermall Charlo’s injury hasn’t been made public, but it was significant enough to rule him out of his scheduled boxing fight.
Amid the turmoil, the promoters of the card will find some relief, because former WBA super-middleweight champion Jose Armando Resendiz will replace Charlo to face Mazoudier in a 10-round fight on just 10 days’ notice.
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The latest cancellation marked the second time Charlo vs. Mazoudier was scrapped. Three months ago, the 36-year-old couldn’t secure a visa before their scheduled boxing fight in July 2026 on the undercard of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Tim Tszyu in Sydney. Both times, Charlo was on the bitter end of the blame for the collapse.
However, this isn’t the first time the former champ suffered an injury before an important fight.
In 2022, Charlo was set to put his middleweight belt on the line against Maciej Sulecki. But the Texas-based boxer had to withdraw from the bout because of a last-minute back injury. Even after Charlo recovered from the injury, the fight never materialized in 2023 largely because of his mental health and personal issues.
Charlo finally returned to competition against Jose Benavidez Jr. and Thomas LaManna, securing wins in both bouts. However, following those victories, he endured another extended layoff before his fight against Mazoudier got cancelled twice in a row.
Though one of the anticipated boxing fights on the October 17 card has suffered an unfortunate change, most of the marquee bouts remain intact, much to the delight of fans.
Despite Jermall Charlo’s withdrawal, Fundora headlining boxing event remains mostly intact.
It is not difficult to concede that losing a name like Jermall Charlo from October 17’s boxing card at the last minute would undoubtedly diminish the overall grandeur of the event. Still, the card has not endured any further cancellations involving the major fights currently featured on the lineup.
Sebastian Fundora is putting the WBC World Super Welterweight Title on the line against Ermal Hadribeaj in the headliner, and the matchup is currently gaining serious traction. The Florida-based fighter is on a four-fight winning streak, having secured his second victory over Tim Tszyu before recently beating Keith Thurman. He also hasn’t tasted defeat since Brian Mendoza knocked him out in 2023.
Fundora currently boasts an impressive 24 wins-1 loss-1 draw record, with most of his victories coming by knockout. On the other hand, the challenger could prove to be a stern test for the super welterweight champion. Unlike Fundora, the Albanian fighter has never lost in his professional career. Hadribeaj has amassed a record of 23 wins-0 losses-1 no-contest.
Looking at their respective records, the matchup is definitely expected to be close. However, there is one department in which Fundora could boast an edge. 16 of Fundora’s victories came by knockout, while Hadribeaj has only 8 knockout wins. That evidently showcases the champion’s significant edge in power.
Besides the main event, Brandon Figueroa’s featherweight title defense against Japan’s Tomoki Kameda is also currently on the card. Figueroa is coming off two consecutive wins against Joet Gonzalez and Nick Ball. On the other hand, Kameda is coming off a loss against Angelo Leo.
Though the fight could be a close encounter, Figueroa has a clear edge in momentum, and that could come in especially handy in a title fight. Plus, Marco Romero vs. Braulio Ferreira also remains intact on the card.
That said, Jermall Charlo will hopefully soon open up about what caused his injury and provide an update on his return timeline. Until then, fans can definitely look forward to the October 17 boxing card.
