WBC Jr. Middleweight Champion Tony "Superbad'' Harrison and former jr. middleweight champion Jermell Charlo will meet face to face in the ring for a highly-anticipated rematch live on Sunday, June 23 in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Harrison and Charlo's first bout took place live on FOX in December as Harrison earned the decision to upset Charlo to become the new champion. The bout was a hard fought one and looked to be close enough to warrant an immediate rematch. The second encounter should be just as action packed as the first.
Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions:
"Tony Harrison and Jermell Charlo showed off their elite talent to the world in their first bout and I anticipate an even more explosive showdown in the rematch on June 23. Harrison will no doubt be at his very best again as he looks to establish himself in the championship ranks. Jermell Charlo is certainly more motivated than ever to reclaim his spot atop the 154-pound division. Fans tuning in on FOX and FOX Deportes in primetime and in attendance at Mandalay Bay Events Center are in for an action-packed Sunday night."
Harrison's first defeat came in 2015 when he lost to Willie Nelson by TKO. Harrison pulled off three-straight wins after losingto Nelso, and earned a shot at the vacant Jr. middleweight title against "SWIFT" Jarrett Hurd. Harrison showed good boxing ability in the fight, but his lack of stamina eventually was capitalized by Hurd. Hurd sent Harrison down to the canvas in the late rounds causing the fight to be stopped.
Tony Harrison:
"Being a world champion now, I'm excited to defend my title for the first time in this rematch that everyone is looking forward to. "I think there's actually more pressure on Charlo, just like last time. It's just a blessing for me to be fighting on FOX and FOX Deportes Sunday, June 23. Everyone is going to be tuned in to this fight and we're going to bring the action to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the capital of the boxing world. I plan on doing the exact same thing to Jermell that I did in December. I'm going to get the win, and then I don't want to hear any more crying or excuses."
Charlo won the vacant WBC title in 2016 when he knocked out John Jackson. He made three successful defenses of the title with highlight-reel knockouts over Charles Hatley and Erickson Lubin, plus a majority decision win over former champion Austin Trout. The 28-year-old Charlo (31-1, 15 KOs) is looking to revenge his first loss to Harrison.
Jermell Charlo:
"I am in a ruthless state of mind. I am upset and this upcoming fight, I am going to give it 110 percent. "I am way hungrier now than I was before. I am not desperate for a win because I know how to win. The judges gave me a bad decision because I didn't get the knockout, but you don't have to knock everybody out to beat them. He knows he didn't beat me. He knows exactly what happened. He knows he can't beat me. If I have to go in there and prove it again, I will."
Harrison and Charlo will preview their world championship rematch at a press conference Wednesday, May 8 at L.A. Live in Las Angeles, CA.
PBS will pit two fighters in what may be one of the highlighted boxing events of May. Here's how to watch Julian Williams vs Jarrett Hurd live online.
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