Golden Boy Promotions expert Bernard Hopkins labels Jaime Munguia’s ninth-round knockout victory over John Ryder last Saturday night as his “coming out party” for the super middleweight division and shows that he’s a “new force” for the weight class.
Hopkins doesn’t say who in particular Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) is, but it’s clear that Canelo Alvarez is the one they’re eyeing. They want that payday, but it’s not looking like a realistic option for 2024.
Munguia and Golden Boy will need to hold their horse because Canelo still has two more fights on his PBC contract, and Al Haymon isn’t going to waste one of those matches by having him compete outside of his company on DAZN.
Canelo will likely fight Jermall Charlo and David Benavidez in that order this year. Those excellent matches will attract a lot of interest in PBC’s new contract with Amazon Prime Video.
A Statement of Intent
“When you close a show in that type of fashion, you know, as a fan and a boxing expert, this is another level of thinking and talent,” said Golden Boy promoter Bernard Hopkins to Fight Hub TV, praising his fighter Jaime Munguia after his win over John Ryder last Saturday night.
Ryder is the best win on Munguia’s 11-year resume, which some believe indicates that he’s been spoon-fed soft opposition to build up a fake, plastic resume to trick fans.
It’s an old practice that promoters use to make money off decent fighters who lack the talent to beat the best. They put them in with fluff and ramp them up for a massive money fight they have no hope of winning.
“Going forward, this is a statement that he’s ready for anyone at 168 lbs. I saw somebody that is in the weight division that he’s in now. Canelo had challenges with this individual [John Ryder], and Canelo didn’t come out of there like he would do modeling the next day. He was pretty bruised up.
A Warning Shot to the Super Middleweights
“That says itself that this isn’t hype. This isn’t promoters talking. This is talking realistic, and all you have to do is watch it if you need to be reminded of what happened tonight. This is, to me, a coming out party for the 168 lb division to understand that Munguia is going to be around for a long time,” said Hopkins.
