Jaime Munguia believes he’ll shock the world on May 4th by upsetting Canelo Alvarez, ripping his four super middleweight titles away from him, and potentially knocking him out.
Fans and oddsmakers aren’t giving the unbeaten 27-year-old Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) much chance of beating the superstar Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs), but he plans on proving them all wrong by winning.
A Must-Win for Canelo
Munguia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, thinks he’ll do the job on Canelo and grab the torch from him to become the next big star in the 168-lb division.
It’s unknown if Canelo will retire if he loses to Munguia because if he can’t beat this guy, it would be a signal that he no longer has it. There are arguably better fighters than him at super middleweight, such as David Benavidez and David Morrell.
That’s why this fight is important for Canelo. It’s a test for him to show whether he’s still got it after nineteen years in the pro ranks. It’s been a couple of years since Canelo fought anyone good in his loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
Munguia will be an excellent barometer to show whether it’s time for Alvarez to hang up his gloves or continue on for a little while longer. With a net worth of over $200 million, Canelo doesn’t have to worry financially if this is the end because he has enough dough to live ten lifetimes.
Dangerous Underdog
“We’re going to have to be very careful and very smart because we know he punches really good, and he has a good defense. But as I said before, I do believe it’s going to be a great fight,” said Jaime Munguia to the media about his May 4th title challenge to undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Canelo’s legacy will be on the line for this fight. There have been recent signs of decline in Canelo in his fights against Jermell Charlo, John Ryder, Gennadiy Golovkin, and Bivol.
If he struggles or loses against Munguia, it might be time for Canelo to retire and save himself the grief of being chewed up by David Morrell or Benavidez. He can’t avoid those two fighters for the rest of his life.
“This was not given, it was earned and with a lot of work. That’s what a lot of fighters have not done, respect the work,” said Munguia, reacting to being told that some people believe that he’s not deserving of a fight against Canelo, and that David Benavidez should have gotten it.
Knockout on his Mind
“I do believe I’m pushing, and I’m giving you my word that I’m going to do my best to get him to fight with me. At this point, I don’t really know, but the possibility of a knockout will be there. Whenever you are in the ring, anything can happen,” said Munguia.
It would be a surprise if Munguia knocked out Canelo, but it’s possible. He has the high-volume attacking style to do the job, and he’s more willing to go for the finish than Bivol was when he had Canelo trapped against the ropes.
Bivol hit Canelo with a five-punch combination that had the referee looking closely like he was getting ready to wave it off. Munguia won’t back off if he has Canelo hurt on May 4th. It’ll be interesting to see Canelo’s reaction after a knockout loss. Will they own the defeat or come up with excuses to try and muddy the water and deflect?
“We’re looking at people with different styles. Someone who is fast, someone who has good defense. We’re still looking for somebody in a group of people. Not just one,” said Munguia when asked what sparring partners he was looking for that could mimic Canelo’s fighting style.
