Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is receiving massive praise from fans after his ninth-round TKO win over John Ryder last weekend in Phoenix, and some believe his popularity is already eclipsing that of ‘The Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez.
Due to his fighting style, Munguia rapidly surpasses Benavidez in popularity in the U.S. and worldwide. That’s got to be frustrating for Benavidez, who is viewed by many as a “weight bully” because he thought he would be the next star to take Canelo Alvarez’s place, and now he sees Munguia stepping in front of him to take the baton.
As Oscar De La Hoya would say, Munguia has the ‘IT’ factor going for him, which you either have or don’t. Benavidez, unfortunately, doesn’t possess it. Hence, he’s failed to become a PPV attraction and has been ignored like an annoying housefly by the superstar Canelo Alvarez.
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) has a fighting style and unassuming personality, making him a more exciting fighter for fans than the boastful, blue-collar fighter Benavidez.
The Drama Factor
Moreover, the drama that Munguia brings to his fights makes him more interesting to watch than the light heavyweight-sized Benavidez, who generally is involved in one-sided match-ups against fighters much smaller than him and lacks talent.
The tremendous amount of praise that Munguia is receiving from boxing fans on social media since his four-knockdown performance against the grizzled veteran Ryder (32-7, 18 KOs) last Saturday night seems to have angered Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs), who has lashed out at Jaime on social media, saying that he would be an “easy win” for him, and telling fans that he ducked him.
The “David vs. Goliath” Narrative
Unlike the light heavyweight-sized Benavidez, Munguia is smaller and a true super middleweight. The 27-year-old Jaime wins his fights on talent, not size, and possesses the hand speed, power, and high-volume punch output that fans like to see in a fighter.
Munguia isn’t a fighter that gets over on size by melting down from 200+ lb region to crush his smaller opponents at 168. He’s like David going up against Goliath at super middleweight and winning without being bigger than his opposition.
Social Media Buzz
Benavidez still has more fans on social media, but Munguia’s growing popularity suggests that he could quickly surpass him. Ultimately, this could translate to Munguia getting the Canelo fight and becoming a PPV draw instead of Benavidez.