No. 1 WBC contender Jermall Charlo had been prepping for a bout with two-time title challenger Willie Monroe Jr.
That was until Monroe got busted by VADA for an illegal substance in his urine sample. He was subsequently removed and replaced with Matt Korobov (28-1, 14 KOs).
Korobov is not exactly a household name, but he is a more then capable fighter. To say that he is even better suited to take on the likes of Charlo would not be an exaggeration. He compiled an amateur record of 300-12 and defeated some of the very best fighters today along the way including Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Aleksandr Usyk.
In the pros he has had himself a successful career as well, handing current IBF Super Middleweight champion Jose Uzcategui the first loss of his career. His only defeat came at the hands of the recently retired Andy Lee when he managed to stun Korobov with a right hand and finish him off with a flurry of punches.
Since then he has gone on to win his last four fights in a row. This isn’t your typical short-notice replacement fight either.
Korobov was already training for a fight on the undercard. His bout was slated to take place at 168 pounds so he will have to trim down to 160 to be eligible for the contest.
Charlo is an aggressive fighter that comes forward and looks to punish his opponents. He has stopped five of his past six opponents and will look to keep that streak going Saturday night.
Korobov, at least on paper, is Charlo’s toughest opponent to date. He is experienced and extremely talented. He has been in the ring with some of the very best and will not be overwhelmed by the moment.
Should Jermall be favored? Absolutely. Does Korobov have what it takes to upset the applecart? He absolutely does.
Make sure you tune in this Saturday on Fox to check out this interesting matchup.
