Canelo Alvarez is refreshingly upfront about his decision to change his mind about never fighting a Mexican fighter, saying that he feels that his fight against Jaime Munguia is “very important for Mexico” for their bout on Cinco de Mayo on May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Benavidez: A Lesson in Respect
Some fans are critical of Canelo changing his mind about not fighting Mexicans, viewing it as a self-serving move to make easy money fighting the deeply flawed Munguia while ignoring David Benavidez, whose parents are Mexican and Ecuadorian.
In Benavidez’s case, he’s not getting the fight against Canelo for other reasons. Benavidez has pushed too hard for a fight with Canelo and has not shown the same respect that Munguia has. Canelo doesn’t go for being pressured, so Benavidez’s tactics have failed spectacularly.
Alvarez has taught Benavidez a lesson of respect. Whether he will learn from this remains to be seen.
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) will defend his undisputed super middleweight title against the unbeaten #1 WBO Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) on Amazon Prime Video and DAZN PPV.
Munguia: The Underdog with Heart
“I did say that, yeah. But, you know, sometimes you need to do it. I think this fight with Jaime [Munguia] will be very important for Mexico. Two Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, everybody watching us,” Canelo Alvarez said to the Fight Hub TV YouTube site, remarking on his past, saying that he would never fight a Mexican fighter, but he has changed his mind and is fighting Jaime Munguia on May 4th.
“I think it’s big for Mexico, and I love being involved in these kinds of fights. I’m proud to give Jaime Munguia the opportunity.”
The critics of this choice of opponent for Canelo forget that his track record shows that he’s fought the best throughout his career, never doing high-risk opposition. He’s sought out the best, winning world titles in multiple weight classes to become the superstar he is today.