Thomas LaManna believes he’s catching former two-division world champion Jermall Charlo at the right moment and will upset him on May 31st in Las Vegas. LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KOs) compares his situation to where Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero was when he was selected as a tune-up for Ryan Garcia. He believes he can similarly defeat the inactive Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) in a Rolly-esque upset.
(Credit: Michael Ham/Premier Boxing Champions)
Charlo hasn’t fought since 2023, and he’d been out of the ring for two years before that. That’s a lot of inactivity for anyone, especially a fighter who turns 35 on May 19th. He hasn’t been living the cleanest life in those years of inactivity.
In Jermall’s last fight against Jose Benavidez Jr, he looked about 70% of what he’d been when he was in his prime in 2020. Now, with him coming back after another extended layoff, 50% might be all that’s left.
The Hustle Plan
That might not be enough for Charlo to defeat the highly motivated LaManna, who will hustle the entire fight, pushing a fast pace. That’s how Jermall struggled in his fight against Juan Macias Montiel. The Mexican slugger was out of his league talent-wise, but Montiel fought at a fast pace and wore down Charlo.
The only thing that saved Jermall was his jab his power was gone in the later rounds. Some fans believe Jermall hasn’t been the same fighter since the Montiel fight due to the punishment he soaked up.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime against a former two-division world champion, who isn’t who he used to be. We all saw what happened last week with Rolly,” said Thomas LaManna to Fight Hub TV about his belief that he’ll upset Jermall Charlo on May 31st. “We upset the apple cart. It’s not going to be nothing different on the 31st.”
Jermall is using LaManna, 33, as a bridge to prepare him for a bigger, more critical fight against Caleb Plant. That match will pay Charlo well and, he believes, lead to a fight against Canelo Alvarez. He passed up an opportunity to fight Canelo two years ago when it was offered. His brother, Jermell Charlo, took the fight and performed horribly, running for 12 rounds.
“The key to success is activity. Jermall is fighting the Cornflake of now. I’m wiser, older, and much more experienced. I got the momentum that he don’t got. This is his first fight at 168, too,” said LaManna. “Punch him in the f***** mouth,” said LaManna about what his strategy is to defeat Charlo on May 31st.
Last Updated on 05/08/2025
