By Allan Fox: An offer has reportedly been made to 154 lb. fringe contender Jamie Munguia (28-0, 24 KOs) to face IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) on May 5 if Saul Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) receives a lengthy suspension at his April 18 hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, according to ESPN.
Golovkin vs. Munguia would likely be on HBO PPV on May 5th, and that could be a big problem for boxing fans with them paying $70. If the fans are going to pay to watch a fight, they at least should get value for their money. Munguia is little more than a fringe contender/prospect type of fighter. He’s not someone that is well thought of in the 154 lb. division.
If Munguia were thrown into the ring with the likes of Jermell Charlo, Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd, he’d probably be massacred quickly. Munguia isn’t that kind of a talent. Munguia is just another guy the WBC has given a top 15 ranking without him having done anything to merit that ranking. Golovkin fighting a prospect on May 5 would anger a lot of boxing fans.
Munguia still needs to prove himself before he’s given a title shot against one of the champions. It sends a wrong message to the boxing world, fans and the other contenders if a prospect like Munguia is given a shot at Golovkin’s titles.
The 21-year-old Munguia has been feasting on weak novice and journeyman level opposition in his home country of Mexico since he turned pro in 2013. Munguia is rated #9 by the World Boxing Council at junior middleweight. In looking at some of Munguia’s fights, he has a good left hook that he throws to the body. That’s about it though. Munguia is very slow of hand, and he’s very easy to hit. He has no defense to stop a jab, and even against the weaker opponents he’s faced, his head is constantly get snapped back from shots.
The only thing positive about Golovkin facing Munguia is the many Mexican fans that will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo on May 5 will still be happy to see the Golovkin fight, even without Canelo. The downside is that Golovkin would be facing a young 21-year-old in Munguia, who has no experience against quality opposition during his five-year pro career, and who isn’t even a middleweight. What about all the contenders in the 160 lb. division? There are a lot of contenders in the 160 lb. weight class that deserve a title shot against Golovkin more than Munguia.
”I’ve heard Spike O’Sullivan mentioned and I’ve heard an offer was made to Jamie Munguia, a 154 prospect from Mexico. Neither will resonate one iota with the boxing public much less get people pumped t spent $70 on a PPV,” Dan Rafael said to ESPN.com.
Munguia’s last 10 wins of his career have come against these fighters:
• Johnny Navarette (31-11-2)
• Jose Carlos Paz (21-6-1)
• Paul Valenzuela Jr. (21-6)
• Uriel Gonzalez (16-2-1)
• Miguel Angel Lopez (16-21-3)
• Gabriel Agramon (7-7-1)
• Jorge Juarez (8-24-3)
• Juan Macia Montiel (19-3-1)
• Alvaro Robles (19-6)
• Alfredo Chavez (12-7)
None of those fighters are contenders. Munguia has been brought along slowly, which is fine because he’s only 21, but he hasn’t done anything to deserve a title shot against Golovkin on HBO PPV on May 5. If Golovkin’s management feel they need someone that will sell on Cinco de Mayo, then it’s likely they’ll sign the 21-year-old Munguia if he agrees to the fight. But this still a very bad fight due to the experience levels, and in terms of accomplishment. This would be like Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. boxing novice Conor McGregor. Munguia at least has a background in boxing going for him, but he’s so inexperienced and limited in terms of talent. It’s a bad fight if Golovkin faces this guy. At just looking at some of Munguia’s past fights, he doesn’t appear to have to talent to ever going anywhere at the highest levels of the 154 lb. division. Munguia is too slow and easy to hit for him to be able to mix it up at the highest levels at 154 and 160. He’s like another Alfredo Angulo, but not even that good. Angulo was a 2004 Olympian from Mexico. Munguia doesn’t have that kind of background.
The other name that been mentioned as a possible option for GGG on May 5th is Irish fighter Gary Spike O’Sullivan. He’s not well-known with the U.S boxing fans, and he’s more of a bottom feeder type of contender, a slow, easy to hit guy, who has lost badly in defeats to Chris Eubank Jr. and Billy Joe Saunders. O’Sullivan would be good if Golovkin was fighting on regular HBO, and if there wasn’t going to be a lot of boxing fans watching. O’Sullivan is a lower level contender, and he’s not someone that the boxing public in the U.S will be pleased at paying to see him get smashed by GGG. There are some good fighters in the 160 lb. weight class. Demetrius Andrade has volunteered to fight Golovkin. He’s an option. WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders is injured. WBC mandatory Jermall Charlo is scheduled already to fight Hugo Centeno Jr. on April 21. Daniel Jacobs is fighting on April 28 in a final WBA middleweight title eliminator against junior middleweight Maciel Sulecki on HBO Boxing. It’s unclear what Golovkin’s IBF mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko is doing. He’d be a great option for Golovkin.
Canelo still has an outside chance that he’ll be cleared by the Nevada Commission when they meet on April 18 for their full hearing. Canelo has to come up with a convincing argument that the Commission will buy that will explain why he tested positive on 2 occasions for the banned substance clenbuterol. Canelo is blaming it on him eating tainted beef in Mexico. The Nevada Commission’s 8-page complaint against Canelo could make it difficult for the beef excuse to fly with them.