Unbeaten Jaime Munguia will take on the recently beaten fringe contender John Ryder on January 27th and live on DAZN in a super middleweight fight that will be a test for the Golden Boy fighter to see if he’s ready to challenge for a world title against undisputed 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez in May.
If Munguia is victorious over the old-timer Ryder and looks impressive, he’ll get the Canelo fight on Cinco de Mayo next May.
Munguia is on the verge of Canelo payday fight
After a decade, Munguia & Golden Boy are on the precipice of that money fight, provided the 27-year-old Jaime shines against the #8 WBC, #10 IBF, and #10 WBO Ryder.
The former WBO junior middleweight champion Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) and the 35-year-old ‘Gorilla’ Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) in a twelve round main event on January 27th at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Fans on social media aren’t too enthused about the ten-year pro Munguia fighting the recently beaten Ryder rather than a higher-ranked, unbeaten contender at 168.
Why match Munguia against an old guy who is coming off a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision loss to Canelo last May in Mexico? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? This is all about money.
Munguia is too vulnerable to be matched tougher than Ryder without him losing. Munguia almost got beat in his last fight by 38-year-old Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
That fight was not competitive, as Canelo was in first gear the whole way, pot-shotting the slow Ryder with single power shots in a one-sided mismatch. The scores were:
120-107
118-109
118-109
Munguia taking a backward step
This is arguably a backward step for the 27-year-old Munguia, as his last opponent, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, gave him pure hell in their fight last June, coming close to beating the carefully groomed Mexican fighter.
Munguia’s twelfth round knockdown of the 38-year-old Derevyanchenko sealed his victory in a fight that looked to be a draw going into that round.
The scores were 114-113, 115-112 and 114-113. Given how razor close that fight was, Munguia & Golden Boy Promotions would be better off setting up a rematch rather than moving Jaime to a lesser fighter in the slow, shot-looking John Ryder.
It’s widely believed Golden Boy has been slowly building Munguia up for ten years, feeding him Hors d’oeuvre to build up a fluff record to make him look better than he is for a cash-out fight against Canelo.
In other sports, teams would have to compete against the best to get to the big game, but in boxing, it’s different. It’s all about matchmaking to give the appearance of being the best; in reality, it’s carefully crafted moves, manufacturing a fighter to make him look good.
Munguia is ranked #1 WBO and #2 WBC at super middleweight despite only fighting twice in the 168-lb division against Derevyanchenko and Irish fighter Jimmy Kelly.
Munguia to do something Canelo couldn’t
“Yeah, it’s a big fight, but why would Canelo do Munguia in January? Ryder is the perfect opponent for Jaime Munguia,” said Oscar De La Hoya to the media last Saturday night, making it clear that 35-year-old John ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder will be the next guy Jaime Munguia faces in January.
“Jaime Munguia has the opportunity to do what Canelo couldn’t do and that’s knock out Ryder. Sure,” said De La Hoya when asked if Munguia’s fight with Ryder is a litmus test to see what could happen for Munguia in May.
“Look, Munguia has options. Munguia wants to fight the very best. We’re going to chase the very best, and that’s it. He’s [Munguia] is one of those fighters that needed all the experience that he has now off to the races,” said De La Hoya.
Munguia vs. Ryder: The Countdown Begins
Mark the Date: Saturday, January 27 (or Sunday for the night owls in the UK). The show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. UK.
Main Event Strut: Munguia and Ryder are expected to grace the ring at about 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. UK. But hey, if the undercard fighters decide to throw a few extra punches, this could shift!
Weights
- Jaime Munguia: 167.8 lbs vs. John Ryder: 167.8 lbs (WBC silver super middleweight title)
- Oscar Collazo: 105 lbs vs. Reyneris Gutierrez: 104.8 lbs (WBO minimumweight title)
- Gabriela Fundora: 111.2 lbs vs. Christina Cruz: 111.6 lbs (IBF female flyweight title)
- Darius Fulghum: 167.2 lbs vs. Alantez Fox: 168.2 lbs
- David Picasso: 126 lbs vs. Erik Ruiz: 124 lbs
- Daniel Garcia: 131.8 lbs vs. Daniel Lugo: 131 lbs
- Gregory Morales: 128.6 lbs vs. Ronal Ron: 128.2 lbs
- Gael Cabrera: 128.6 lbs vs. Miguel Ceballos: 122.8 lbs
- Jonathan Canas: 135.8 lbs vs. Kameeko Hall: 137.6 lbs
Munguia vs. Ryder: Catch it on DAZN? You bet! Stream this clash of titans live on DAZN in over 200 countries (Mexico, sorry, you’re sitting this one out).
Special Note for Argentina, Chile, and Colombia: No shortcuts for you! Get the DAZN app from the Apple App Store or Android Google Play store, then sign up from there. Web browsers are a no-go.
DAZN’s Tech Army: What Works? DAZN plays nice with just about any gadget you can think of. Here’s the roll call:
- Mobile Brigade: iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, plus Amazon Fire tablets.
- TV & Streaming Crew: Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, Apple TV, and Google Chromecast. Let’s not forget Hisense, LG Smart TV with Smartcast, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony Smart TVs. Philips, Roku, Vestel, and Vizio are also in the mix.
- Console Commandos: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X|S.
Rumble Ground: Where’s the Fight? The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A fitting stage for a showdown.
Odds and Ends: Munguia vs. Ryder
- Jaime Munguia: Leading the charge at -340.
- John Ryder: The hopeful underdog at +250. Thanks to DraftKings for these odds, hot off the press as of January 22.
In the Red Corner: Jaime Munguia
- Nationality: Proudly Mexican
- Birthday: October 6, 1996
- Height: Towering at 6′ 0″
- Reach: That’s a mystery
- Fight Tally: 42 battles
- Record: Undefeated with 42-0 (33 KOs to his credit)
In the Blue Corner: John Ryder
- Nationality: British Fighter
- Birthdate: July 19, 1988
- Height: A solid 5′ 9″
- Reach: 72 inches of reach advantage
- Total Fights: 38 in the ring
- Record: A seasoned 32-6 (18 KOs in his pocket)