By: Sean Crose
Lets face it, fighters just don’t fight as much as they used to. There are benefits to this, of course, as less time fighting means less chance of receiving serious brain injuries, among other things. Fighters, however, are supposed to fight. And fighting once every one or two years seems a bit questionable (admittedly, some fighters get stuck in promotional or contractual traps they simply can’t get out of). Workers have to go do work, after all, even those whose job it is to slip in between the ropes and box – sometimes for large sums of money.
One person who simply cannot be accused of inactivity is Jaime Munguia, the always entertaining super middleweight who has lost on but one occasion – and that was to the great Canelo Alvarez earlier this year. In fact, Munguia is about to fight for the fourth time this year when he faces the undefeated Bruno Surace in his native Mexico this Saturday. Surace might not be a top name, but it’s important to note that the 28 year old Munguia is actually keeping active – a rarity for most popular fighters. By the end of 2024, Munguia will have faced Canelo, Surace, John Ryder and Erik Bazinyan. Ryder and Bazinyan were stopped within distance.
Most will expect Munguia to win this weekend. The 26 year old Frenchman Surace may be undefeated (his record is 25-0-2), but only four of his wins have come by knockout. Against the heavy hands of Munguia, he may not last long. No doubt many expect Munguia to win within the 10 round distance. Anything can happen in the ring, however. Perhaps Surace may fluster or outslick his man. Or maybe actually he’ll prove to be harder hitting than most expect. Again, this is boxing, a sport where the seemingly impossible can become possible with a single well placed shot.
And well placed shots are something Munguia can excel in. He’s simply one of the more entertaining fighters to watch right now. He may not possess blinding speed, but he hits hard enough that he can send opponents to the mat with either hand. He also fights in a disciplined fashion, confident that his power and skill will eventually bring him the win. Lastly, Munguia has the heart of lion, something his 2023 war with Sergiy Derevyanchenko is direct evidence of. Munguia emerged victorious from that thriller, just as he plans on emerging victorious this weekend.
Win, lose, or draw, however, it’s likely Munguia will return to the ring sooner than most.