Following a fiery virtual press conference between Jose Benavidez Jr and Jermall Charlo last week, Benavidez takes some time to chat with Fight Hub TV about his reaction to the event and what he sees in Charlo leading into their bout. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say below.
Benavidez on his reaction to getting into it with Charlo during their video press conference
“He’s known for talking shit and now he’s making sense — all I heard is mumbling. I said what I had to say, and what I say I’m going to do. So now I’m focused, I’m ready, and I’m motivated to be on PPV, I’m motivated to be on a card with my brother. It’s gonna be a great night.”
On if Charlo looked fit to fight when he saw him
“I mean, I don’t really buy all of his excuses. You know, everyone in life has troubles. We all have our ups and downs but we don’t post it out there, we don’t make videos to get attention, we don’t cry to make people feel bad. We do what we gotta do. He looked pretty rough (at the virtual presser), he looked pretty rough. He looked like he just got arrested for trespassing and let out the same day.
“It is what it is. At the end of the day we’re all God’s children. I still wish him the best, regardless of what he has to say. I wish everyone the best, I don’t hate anybody. But I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do come that night and he’s gonna see.”
On Charlo taking heat from fans for sitting on his WBC middlweight title for years without defending it
“I mean, the thing is he’s playing that mental issue card. There’s a lot of people out there that do really (suffer) but I feel like he’s taking advantage of it and I feel like he’s taking it a whole different way.
“I feel like he should’ve been stripped. I feel like he should at least defend or try to fight (with the belt on the line). I don’t really want to get into all that, it is what it is. But I feel like there’s people out there who do really need the help; he’s over here just not being dedicated to the sport, he’s just using excuses.”