In the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian 2 event, rising prospect Khalil Coe will face Manuel Gallegos (20-2-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday night, November 9, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, live on DAZN.
Coe was originally scheduled to fight Gallegos earlier this year at the same venue, but the bout was canceled due to an injury suffered by Gallegos. Coe kept the fight date and went on to fight a boxer trying to recover from his first career loss.
In July 2024, Kwame Ritter stepped in to replace Gallegos, as he entered the ring as a fighter of 11 victories, with 9 of these victories coming by KO. Ritter planned to get back on track by upsetting Khalil Coe and winning a vacant title belt.
With 2:16 remaining in the second round, Khalil Coe landed a big right hand and followed it up with a pair of lefts to the body. Coe proceeded to floor Ritter when he connected with an overhead left hand.
Ritter managed to get up, but he looked like a man on borrowed time. Coe pressed forward and hit Ritter with rights and lefts. As Coe continued to beat Ritter around the ring, the referee finally stepped in and put a stop to the contest. With the win, Khalil Coe won the USWBC light heavyweight title.
Now, Jersey City, New Jersey native Khalil Coe (9-0-1, 7 KOs) feels he is ready to take on the contenders in the lightweight division. Coe has interim WBO champion Joshua Buatsi on his radar, but before Coe can focus on Buatsi, he must first take care of some unfinished business on Saturday night.
The last time Manuel Gallegos competed in the ring, he faced 168-pound rival Diego Pacheco in July 2023. In the first round, Gallegos got off to a decent start as he did a good job of pressing forward while changing. levels with the jab.
Pacheco started to connect with his jab and right hand in the 2nd round. Late in the fourth round, Pacheco landed a vicious left to the body that sent Gallegos down to the canvas. Gallegos managed to get up, but the contest was stopped seconds later when Pacheco landed a flurry of punches.
Now, after 16 months of inactivity, Manuel Gallegos will make his return to the ring as a lightweight and attempt to pull off the upset against a well-rounded prospect. Gallegos is grateful for the opportunity, and promises not to let it go to waste.
Khalil “Big Steppa” Coe is a technically sound blue-chip prospect who has that potent combination of speed and power. Coe feels he is ready to face the top 15 talent, but before he moves on to the next level, he will have to pass the Gallegos test on Saturday night.
In the skill category Coe has the advantage, but in terms of physical attributes, the 6 foot 3 inch Manuel Gallegos will have the height and reach advantages over the 5 foot 10 inch Coe. Manuel Gallegos is a good test for Khalil Coe because he is an aggressive pressure fighter, and on fight night we will see how good Coe is in terms of fighting on the back foot.
The 28-year-old Khalil Coe is the type of fighter who doesn’t talk much trash because he prefers to let his hands do the talking. On Saturday night, Coe wants to make a statement as he predicts that the fight will be composed of fireworks and a lot of pain.
