Super middleweight Jaime Munguia is looking to continue a strong, and sometimes under-appreciated, run as a pro.
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) will face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
On April 20, Ryan Garcia transitioned from a star to a superstar following his victory over Devin Haney. Golden Boy Promotions, which guides Garcia, now has a chance to share in yet another game-changing upset, as Munguia, whom it co-promotes with Zanfer Promotions, will seek to overcome Canelo as a clear underdog.
Yet Golden Boy president Eric Gomez doesn’t quite see it that way. Although he acknowledges that most observers are picking Alvarez to win, his and Golden Boy’s confidence in Munguia is almost palpable.
“He is in tip-top shape,” Gomez recently told BoxingScene. “Look for the upset. We feel very strongly that he is going to upset Canelo.”
Munguia, training under Freddie Roach, stopped John Ryder in January. In theory, Roach knows Canelo well – he once trained Miguel Cotto for a Canelo fight in 2015. But that was nearly nine years ago, and a lot has changed for Alvarez in that time.
One thing remains the same: Canelo is clearly the most notable fighter in boxing. But Gomez believes Munguia’s determination and hunger will play a major role in pushing the “Face of Boxing” to his limits.
“Canelo is still the king of boxing,” Gomez said. “Munguia’s going to leave it all in the ring.”
And given all the factors in the matchup, it can be argued that Munguia isn’t being given enough credit as a potential threat. Canelo is a battle-worn 33, while Munguia, 27, has taken little punishment despite having fought 43 times as a pro.
Gomez, who served as matchmaker at Golden Boy before becoming president, knows a thing or two about a great fight – including how to make one.
Although he favors Munguia, he admits, “It is going to be a tough fight for both fighters.”