Tag Archives: Jaime Munguia

Posted on 03/30/2022

By: Hans Themistode

As of late, Jaime Munguia’s heart, will, and desire to become a world champion has been questioned by even his most loyal fans.

The former WBO junior middleweight titlist opted to take a much slower route on his way to a world title at 160 pounds. Although he was initially ranked the number one fighter in the WBO sanctioning body since 2020, Munguia spent the better part of the past two years gaining experience in his newfound home.

With wins over Gary O’Sullivan, Tureano Johnson, Kamil Szeremeta, Gabe Rosado, and D’Mitrius Ballard – Munguia was ordered to take on fellow highly ranked contender, Janibek Alimkhanuly, for the WBO interim crown. However, Munguia ultimately passed on the offer in lieu of a showdown against WBC titleholder, Jermall Charlo.

While both Charlo and Munguia agreed to terms, promotional and network differences saw their contest officially fall by the wayside. In addition to losing out on both title showdowns, Munguia also removed himself from a WBC world title eliminator against Carlos Adames.

Although the moves of team Munguia were perplexing, it appears as though he may have found his next opponent. BoxingInsider.com has confirmed that representatives from team Munguia are attempting to finalize a deal that would see the 25-year-old take on former two-time middleweight titlist, Daniel Jacobs.

Despite Jacobs moving up in weight in 2019, the two could square off at a catchweight of 164 pounds. Team Jacobs also revealed to BoxingInsider.com that they “love” the idea of facing Munguia next.

For the 35-year-old former titlist, the latter part of his career has been plagued with inactivity and disappointing performances. In December of 2019, Jacobs made a splash in his 168-pound debut, easily stopping Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. However, in his following ring appearance, Jacobs momentum came to a screeching halt.

In what was expected to be a relatively easy night at the office, Jacobs struggled mightily against journeymen, Gabriel Rosado. Jacobs may have ultimately eked out the victory, but many were dumbfounded when it was revealed that he was actually given the nod.

Since the controversial outcome, Jacobs was embroiled in even more controversy. The New York native ended his near year and a half spell of inactivity on the sidelines by traveling halfway across the world to take on John Ryder at the Alexandra Palace, in the United Kingdom.

While Jacobs started strong, Ryder rallied back in the second half, resulting in a controversial split decision win.

Still, even with Jacobs producing less than stellar results as of late and coming off a loss at the hands of Ryder, team Jacobs believes that the former two-time titlist will be “100%” for his possible showdown against Munguia.

Posted on 03/14/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia’s career has been a slow and meticulous build. 

Yet, despite being chastised by fans for his questionable level of opposition at times, Munguia has reached world level status. At the moment, the former junior middleweight titlist is ranked number one in both the WBC and WBO sanctioning bodies at 160 pounds. 

With his pick of the litter, Munguia opted against facing Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO interim crown. Instead, Munguia brazenly accepted an offer take on current WBC middleweight champion, Jermall Charlo. 

However, although both sides agreed to the financial portion of their deal, their showdown fell by the wayside as neither Showtime, nor DAZN, were able to agree to terms on the platform in which their contest would be viewed. 

Ultimately, Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is bemused by the entire ordeal. In his opinion, he isn’t fulminating against Charlo receiving the lions share of the financial pie. He’s also willing to allow Munguia to jump ship and fight Charlo on Showtime pay-per-view. 

Nonetheless, De La Hoya wants to make it clear that Munguia is ready, willing, and able to face Charlo next. The longtime promoter and Hall of Fame fighter is simply asking that Showtime and their representatives play fair.

“We want the fight,” said De La Hoya during a self-recorded video. “Charlo is the champion, he gets the bigger cut, we all know that. That’s common sense. You have the fight on Showtime pay-per-view but I need DAZN to participate. They built Jaime Munguia, that’s only fair. It’s business. More platforms, more pay-per-views, what’s wrong with that?”

Presently, it’s unclear whether both sides will close the gap on their disagreements. However, those discussions could become extraneous. 

The WBC has officially ordered a purse bid between Munguia and fellow highly ranked contender, Carlos Adames, tomorrow afternoon. The winner of said bout, would then become Charlo’s mandatory challenger. 

In the meanwhile, Charlo is set to return to the ring this Summer against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The heavy-handed WBC titlist has defended his middleweight crown just once annually over the past two years. In 2021, Charlo struggled against fringe contender Juan Macias Montiel, winning a tougher than expected unanimous decision. 

Posted on 03/12/2022

By: Hans Themistode

After forgoing his chance to face Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO middleweight interim crown in favor of taking on WBC belt holder, Jermall Charlo, Jaime Munguia will be forced to take a longer road to his first world title shot at 160 pounds.

Initially, team Charlo turned their sights toward Munguia after failing to secure a showdown against Canelo Alvarez. Representatives of the 31-year-old Houstonian made a lucrative offer to Munguia to become Charlo’s fifth world title defense. As reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, both Charlo and Munguia agreed on the financial portion of their highly-anticipated showdown.

However, their contest has officially gone by the wayside as broadcasting rights became unsolvable scenario. Although Munguia was hoping to truncate Charlo’s title reign, the 25-year-old isn’t entirely out of the running.

According to the WBC sanctioning body, a purse bid, which has been officially set for this coming Tuesday, March 15th, will determine Charlo’s next mandatory challenger. At the center of said purse bid will be the aforementioned Munguia and highly ranked contender, Carlos Adames.

In the meanwhile, Charlo will look to remain active by facing a yet-to-be-determined opponent this Summer. The 31-year-old titlist has defended his middleweight crown just once annually since 2020.

Most recently, despite heading into the ring as a considerable favorite, Charlo struggled with the rough and rugged Juan Macias Montiel. Still, regardless of Montiel having plenty of success, Charlo drove his record to a perfect 32-0 via unanimous decision.

Posted on 03/11/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia has thought long and hard about his next move.

The former junior middleweight titlist turned highly ranked middleweight contender was originally ordered by the WBO sanctioning body to take on Janibek Alimkhanuly for the interim 160-pound crown. However, as first reported by BoxingScene.com, Munguia has turned down the governing bodies offer as he mulls over another proposal.

With WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo in need of a dance partner, the long-reigning champion has made Munguia an enticing offer. According to Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com, a tentative date of June 18th, is the reported target.

As Munguia continues to look over Charlo’s offer, he has seemingly removed himself from heading down the path of the WBO. In the end, while Munguia will always hold a special place in the sanctioning bodies’ heart, Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcarcel, the organization’s chairman, is moving on.

“We love our former junior middleweight champion, Jaime Munguia,” said Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcarcel on his social media account. “But the show must go on.”

Ultimately, a decision from Munguia could be coming in the ensuing days. Should the Mexican star accept Charlo’s offer, a showdown against the Houston native would represent his stiffest competition by far.

Since dropping his previously mentioned WBO junior middleweight title, Munguia has slowly upped his level of competition. Following two one-sided victories over Kamil Szeremeta and Gabe Rosado in 2021, Munguia has continued his winning ways with a third-round stoppage win over D’Mitrius Ballard in February, earlier this year.

In the case of Charlo, unlike Munguia, his ring appearances as of late have been few and far between. In both 2020 and 2021, Charlo has defended his WBC strap just once annually.

Despite his inactive schedule, Charlo attempted to parlay wins over Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Juan Macias Montiel – into a mega showdown against pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez.

Yet, with Alvarez opting to do business elsewhere, Charlo has now promptly turned his attention towards Munguia. If the two officially square off on June 18th, it will mark one full year since Charlo was last seen in the ring. The 31-year-old successfully defended his WBC crown against a tougher than expected Montiel, winning a fairly wide unanimous decision.

Posted on 02/20/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The last time Jaime Munguia fought in his native land of Mexico, he was given a difficult time by fringe contender Dennis Hogan. This go around, the highly ranked middleweight contender had a much better showing.

The 25-year-old former 154 pound titlist waltzed into the Plaza Monumental, in Tijuana, Mexico, and stood firmly across the ring from the previously undefeated D’Mitrius Ballard.

In the opening round, Ballard, a prohibitive underdog, attempted to physically push Munguia back. He bobbed and weaved and popped Munguia’s head back with a stiff jab. As an anxious crowd stood on pins and needles, Munguia calmly landed a strong right hook, followed by a left to the body.

A wincing Ballard took several steps back and held onto his much younger opponent. Even with the Maryland native making his way out of the round, Munguia pressed the issue in the second. He ripped off a barrage of shots to the body Ballard before finishing off his combination with an overhand left.

To Ballard’s credit, he didn’t appear to be a fish out of water. He stuck his head into the chest of Munguia and landed several shots of his own. Ultimately, his moments of success were transient as Munguia cornered him in the third. The Mexican product forced the crowd to its feet as he landed a straight left hand which resulted in Ballard hitting the canvas.

Seemingly unaware of what took place, Ballard climbed back to his feet and urged Munguia to fight him in the center of the ring. In the end, Ballard’s bravado was his undoing. Munguia reeled off several unanswered shots within seconds, forcing referee Juan Jose Ramirez to step in and wave their contest off.

Posted on 02/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia is using his upcoming contest against D’Mitrius Ballard as a way to continue his middleweight maturation process.

Since dropping his WBO 154 pound title in 2019, the Mexican product has slowly but assuredly worked his way up the middleweight ladder. Officially, Munguia has gone a perfect 4-0, with three of those victories coming via stoppage. Tomorrow night, at the Plaza Monumental in Tijuana, Mexico, Munguia will look to continue his winning ways.

Presently, oddsmakers are fully expecting Munguia to take care of business. While he might be pegged as a sizable favorite, the 25-year-old isn’t waltzing into his contest against Ballard with hubris.

One uninspiring performance could lead to the first defeat in Munguia’s career and a precipitous fall down the middleweight mountain. Should he do what many are expecting, however, Munguia believes he’s spent enough time getting acclimated to the 160 pound landscape. As long as everything goes according to plan, Munguia will turn his sights on a certain truculent knockout puncher from Houston, Texas, who happens to hold the WBC middleweight crown.

“I want the fight with Charlo,” said Munguia during a recent interview with K.O. Artist Sports. “It will be an exciting fight for the people.”

For the young contender, if a showdown against Charlo is truly what he desires, he’ll have little to no trouble securing said bout. At the moment, Munguia occupies the number one position in the WBC sanctioning body. Although a contest against Charlo could be looming, the Houston native has other ideas.

The 31-year-old titleholder is quietly hoping that a deal between himself and current undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo Alvarez, can be reached. Should the two sides finalize a deal, Charlo would move up to 168 pounds to challenge the pound-for-pound star.

Until Charlo’s future plans are resolved, Munguia will continue to position himself for a shot at his world title.

Posted on 01/16/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia didn’t hesitate in the slightest when he was approached with an opportunity of a lifetime.

In 2018, Gennadiy Golovkin began gearing up for his highly-anticipated showdown against Canelo Alvarez. Just a few months prior, in September of 2017, Golovkin believed he was given a raw deal when he first squared off against Alvarez. Although their contest was ruled a split decision draw, both sides agreed to run things back immediately.

But, with roughly a month remaining before their sequel, Alvarez was slapped with a six-month suspension due to a positive drug test for the banned substance clenbuterol. With Alvarez out of the picture, Golovkin attempted to take on the undefeated Jaime Munguia. Although the Mexican native was more than willing to step in on short notice, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to sanction their bout due to a combination of Munguia’s age and lack of experience at the top level.

Since then, things have changed mightily in the life of Munguia. At 25 years of age, the Mexican product has registered several highlight-reel level knockout victories and faced stiffer competition. Munguia was also the proud owner of the WBO 154 pound crown and is now considered a top middleweight contender.

At the age of 40, Golovkin has seemingly slowed down. The current IBF middleweight champion has produced several up and down results since picking up his first defeat to Alvarez in their rematch. Still, despite Golovkin showing his boxing mortality as of late, Munguia believes that a showdown between them would produce mouthwatering results.

“Yes, I was interested then and I’m still interested now,” said Munguia to a group of reporters. “It would be a fun fight and people would like it. It would be an entertaining fight.”

Before Munguia can begin fixating on a possible showdown against Golovkin, he’ll first need to handle business against undefeated contender D’Mitrius Ballard. The two are slated to face off on February 19th. Should Munguia do what many are expecting, he may turn his attention towards the current IBF belt holder.

As for Golovkin, the 40-year-old could return to the negotiating tables with Munguia, provided he adds more gold to his waist first. Originally, the future Hall of Famer was set to take on fellow middleweight champion Ryota Murata on December 29th, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Murata’s home turf.

But while Golovkin was placing the finishing on an arduous training camp and preparing to hit the road, his showdown against Murata was postponed due to the rising concern surrounding the omicron COVID-19 variant. In order to prevent an outbreak, Japan implanted a new travel ban that prevented foreigners from visiting.

Although news of a fresh deal hasn’t surfaced, promoter Eddie Hearn believes the pair could face off in either March or April.

Posted on 11/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Though Jaime Munguia has long occupied the number one ranking for the WBC in the middleweight division, the 25-year-old has opted to take his time.

Following a title run at 154 pounds, Munguia has gradually upped his level of competition. This past weekend, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Munguia held a fight of the year contender against Gabriel Rosado. Although the action was nonstop, it was Munguia who emerged with the unanimous decision victory.

Now, no more than one week later, the highly ranked contender, is on the verge of discovering who his next foe will be.

As determined by the WBC sanctioning body at their recent convention, Munguia will be ordered to face the winner of the upcoming showdown between Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Carlos Adames. The two are scheduled to square off on December 5th, in Los Angeles California, as the chief support to Gervonta Davis vs. Isaac Cruz.

Originally, the sanctioning body ordered a final eliminator between Derevyanchenko and Munguia. However, with the pair already entangled in a pair of separate bouts, both Munguia and Derevyanchenko believed that it was in their best interest to wait.

With Munguia holding up his end of the bargain, the ball now falls squarely onto the court of Derevyanchenko. Though the 36-year-old has flirted with the idea of moving down in weight, the Ukrainian native is on the hunt to prove that his fourth crack at a world title will be his crowning achievement.

Following a closely contested loss against Daniel Jacobs in October of 2018 for the vacant IBF middleweight crown, Derevyanchenko bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Jack Culcay.

While Derevyanchenko successfully worked his way back into the title picture, he has been sent back on consecutive occasions. In October of 2019, Derevyanchenko suffered a close but clear decision loss to Gennadiy Golovkin. Roughly one year later, the Brooklyn, New York resident would once again watch his world title dreams go up in flames. This time, at the hands of current belt holder, Jermall Charlo.

Despite his shortcomings, Derevyanchenko could be on his way to competing for a world title once more. Provided, of course, he takes care of business against both Adames and Munguia.

“The WBC ordered a final elimination between Jaime Munguia and Sergiy Derevyanchenko,” said Sulaiman. “Munguia had a commitment which he won. Sergiy has a fight as well December 5. We will revise the order for Munguia to face the winner of that fight.”

Posted on 11/15/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia was devastated as an opportunity of a lifetime slipped through his fingers.

Following his split decision draw against Canelo Alvarez in September of 2017, Gennadiy Golovkin appeared ready to right what he believes was an injustice. With the two set to square off just a few months later, Golovkin was caught off guard as their contest was postponed due to a positive PED test from Alvarez.

While Golovkin could have opted to wait, he instead choose to take on then 21-year-old Munguia. However, due to Munguia’s age and lack of experience at the top level, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to sanction the showdown.

Although he was disappointed, Munguia took his rejection on the chin and began upping his level of competition. Since then, Munguia has enjoyed a world title run at 154 pounds. Currently, the Mexican star is campaigning in the middleweight division and is relishing in his lofty status as a true contender.

This past weekend, Munguia picked up his fourth win at 160 pounds, a one-sided unanimous decision win over veteran Gabriel Rosado. With Munguia improving by leaps and bounds over the past few years, the 25-year-old would like to revisit his showdown against Golovkin.

“I’m ready for Golovkin,” said Munguia to a group of reporters following his win over Rosado.

Though it’s ostensible in the mind of Munguia that he would love nothing more than a fight with Golovkin, the highly ranked contender could be forced to wait a protracted amount of time.

Presently, Golovkin is in the midst of training camp as he attempts to unify his IBF middleweight crown with WBA belt holder, Ryota Murata. The two are currently scheduled to swap fists on December 29th, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Should Golovkin emerge from their contest as a unified titlist, Munguia is more than willing to step foot inside the ring with the long-reigning champion. But while Munguia is hoping that a deal between the pair can and will materialize, if it doesn’t, he has another name in mind for his next ring appearance.

“I want a fight with Derevyanchenko as well.”

Hearing his name mentioned amongst the more notable names in the division, is something that the 36-year-old Ukrainian contender enjoys. But first things first, the multiple-time title challenger is focused completely on December 5th. On the night, Derevyanchenko will square off against Carlos Adames.

A win for Derevyanchenko would put an end to his current two-fight losing streak. In back-to-back world title attempts, Derevyanchenko came up short against both Golovkin and WBC belt holder Jermall Charlo.

Posted on 11/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Winning a world title is constantly on the mind of Gabriel Rosado. Though the Philadelphia native has yet to check that goal off his boxing list, he was ecstatic once it was revealed that he would be taking on highly ranked contender Jaime Munguia.

With Rosado considering their showdown a “legacy fight”, he left it all out in the ring. However, it wasn’t enough.

The crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, simultaneously stood to their feet as both men made their way to the ring. Several minutes later, they remained there as the pair uncorked bombs from the opening bell.

Despite walking into their showdown on the heels of four straight stoppage victories, Rosado marched right to the center of the ring and attempted to hold his ground. Though initially taken aback, Munguia happily fought fire with fire.

As fists began flying, Rosado took the first step back as Munguia’s pressure was relentless. No longer wanting to engage in a firefight, Rosado began boxing and moving. In the second round, the 35-year-old fringe contender pumped out a strong and consistent jab and began looking for an overhand right, the same punch that left previous opponent, Bektemir Melikuziev, motionless on the canvas.

Though he tried, Rosado was unable to land his money punch. But, that doesn’t mean he didn’t endure plenty moments of success. In round five, in particular, Rosado switched tactics completely. He abandoned the jab, placed his hands up high, and attempted to walk down his much younger opponent.

On several occasions, Rosado appeared to wobble his man. Munguia found himself pushed back against the ropes and frantically attempted to fight his way out of trouble. With the momentum seemingly in favor of Rosado, Munguia took control in the middle rounds. He consistently found the chin of Rosado and continued to pound away.

In an effort to slow things down, Rosado grabbed and held onto Munguia. Unwilling to simply allow himself to be tied up, Munguia fought his way out of his grasp and took full advantage of a visibly tired Rosado.

As the championship rounds slowly approached, Munguia bounced on his toes as if to indicate that he was fresh as a daisy. Though Rosado appeared to be wary, he began swinging for the fences in the 11th. His willingness to throw combinations may have led to oohs and ahhhs from the crowd, but it also left him open for numerous counter punches.

At times, Rosado seemed to be fighting on pure instinct. While both men threw power shots until the sound of the final bell, it was Munguia who was awarded the hard-fought unanimous decision victory.

Judges Raul Caiz and Zachary Young viewed things one-sided in favor of Munguia, scoring the bout 118-110 and 119-109 respectively. Max DeLuca, however, saw things as a bit more competitively but still scored it in favor of Munguia. He scored it 117-111 in favor of Munguia.

Posted on 11/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a look of determination in the eyes of Gabriel Rosado. It’s an expression he’s worn in the past but did little to nothing to influence the end results.

As the Philadelphia native patiently watches the clock tick by, he grows more and more excited as his middleweight showdown against highly ranked contender Jaime Munguia at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, approaches.

Despite his confidence, Rosado enters their showdown as a heavy underdog. Still, even with that being the case, his self-belief isn’t wavering.

“I will be successful,” said Rosado during an interview with Boxing Social. “I’m just looking forward to putting on a great performance and making history.”

Confidence, by and large, is something Rosado admits to struggling with throughout the course of his career. With several questionable decisions that have gone against him, Rosado believes he’s now turning a corner.

In November of 2020, Rosado marched into the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, to take on Daniel Jacobs. Like always, Rosado was a considerable underdog. Still, the now 35-year-old appeared to do just enough to eke out the win. However, Rosado was beside himself when Jacobs was announced as the winner.

Seven months later, Rosado walked into his showdown against the highly touted Bektemir Melikuziev as the proverbial sacrificial lamb. Though it appeared as though Rosado was on his way to another devastating loss, hitting the deck in the first round, he returned the favor tenfold, knocking Melikuziev out in the third.

With one of the biggest wins in his career firmly in his back pocket, Rosado’s confidence is now through the roof.

In Munguia, Rosado faces a former 154-pound belt holder who’s still attempting to carve out his own place in the boxing world. With three straight stoppage wins since moving up to 160 pounds in January of 2020, Munguia is on the cusp of a world title opportunity.

In terms of how they match up, Munguia appears to have several advantages including size, strength, and power. But while Munguia enters their contest as one of the more dangerous opponents Rosado has faced, the 35-year-old is uninterested in what his younger counterpart has up his sleeves. In the end, Rosado is simply of the belief that he’s idoneous to hand Munguia the first loss of his career.

“I don’t even care what he’s bringing. He’s gotta be worried about what I’m bringing to the table. I’m not focused on anything he’s capable of. I’m just ready to dominate and do what I got to do.”

Posted on 11/02/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The career of Gabe Rosado has been filled with multiple highs but even lower lows. With understandable knockout losses at the hands of Peter Quillin and Gennadiy Golovkin, to go along with unforgivable wide decision defeats at the hands of Joshua Onyango and Chris Gray, Rosado has seen it all.

As of late, however, Rosado has gone through a career rebirth of sorts. On November 27th, 2020, Rosado appeared to win a clear unanimous decision against Daniel Jacobs but was forced to settle for a split decision loss. Following that defeat, Rosado pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career, stopping the highly touted Bektemir Malikuziev via third-round knockout earlier this year.

Now, with that victory safely in his back pocket, Rosado has picked up yet another big-time opportunity. In just a few more weeks on November 13th, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Rosado is set to square off against former 154-pound titlist, Jaime Munguia. Due to the up and down nature of his career, Rosado has struggled with self-belief at times. With that said, considering his current form, Rosado’s confidence is through the roof.

“I just knocked out the bully,” said Rosado of his showdown against Malikuziev during an interview with Little Giant Boxing. “I outboxed Danny Jacobs, regardless of what the scorecards were. I outboxed a guy who gave GGG problems and Canelo problems. I made it look easy. Right now, I’m going into this fight with that swagger and where I feel like a new fighter. I’m going into this fight confident and ready.”

In the case of Munguia, Rosado figures to be fighting an uphill battle. In the eyes of the betting market, the Philadelphia native is a heavy underdog. Following five successful defenses of his WBO super welterweight title, Rosado grew tired of squeezing his enormous frame down to the 154-pound limit. He’s since grabbed three decisive stoppage victories in his new middleweight home.

The 25-year-old easily dispatched of fringe contender Kamil Szeremeta, ironically enough, on the same card of Rosado on June 19th. A victory for Rosado is something that he envisions daily. And while he would love nothing more than to accomplish his world title dreams, he’s fully convinced that his showdown against Munguia usurps that of a championship opportunity.

“This isn’t a world title fight but this is almost bigger because it’s legacy. This is the big fight. This is Hagler vs. Hearns, this is Sugar Ray vs. Duran. This is it. This is two top middleweights putting it all on the line.”

Posted on 09/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia had his pick of two noteworthy fighters.

The former WBO 154 pound titlist was recently ordered to engage in negotiations with Sergiy Derevyanchenko for a WBC title eliminator. Instead of taking on the former multiple-time title challenger, Munguia has opted to take on fringe contender Gabe Rosado.

The two will now officially face off on November 13th, at a yet to be determined venue. All along, both parties saw the writing on the wall.

On June 19th, at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, Munguia headlined a card against journeymen Kamil Szeremeta. Just as many were expecting, Munguia easily ran through his man, scoring the sixth-round stoppage win.

Playing chief support in the co-main event on the night was Rosado. The Philadelphia product was pegged as a significant underdog in his matchup against the highly touted Bektemir Melikuziev. After hitting the canvas in the opening round, Rosado completely turned things around in the third, landing a picture-perfect overhand right which saw Melikuziev remain unconscious well after the formal ten count.

Following each man’s respective victories, the two were spotted chatting and appeared both ready, willing, and able to face each other next.

According to Oscar De La Hoya, Munguia’s promoter and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, a matchup between his young star and the veteran contender will be nothing short of a violent night of fights.

“This fight will be full of non-stop action,” said De La Hoya. “It will be a war that fight fans will enjoy and a new exciting chapter in the classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry. Both fighters are coming off of spectacular performances and knock-out victories that showed their power, speed, and resilience. This is truly a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, a fight that fans will remember for years to come.”

Posted on 06/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia was flat-out getting impatient.

Following the second straight withdrawal from their showdown by Maciej Sulecki, the highly-rated middleweight contender was convinced that he would be forced to wait even longer before returning to the ring. However, with the chance to take on his second straight big-name opponent, Kamil Szeremeta gladly stepped in.

The two faced off in a homecoming of sorts for the Mexican star, as their showdown took place in front of a pro Munguia crowd at the Don Haskins Center, in El Paso, Texas.

Having just taken the contest on just two weeks’ notice, Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) proved that Szeremeta’s willingness to take the short notice fight wasn’t a sagacious decision. The Mexican native started off strong. He came out firing his jab and stayed behind it for most of the round. Seemingly content with the fast pace of Munguia, Szeremeta kept a high guard and attempted to walk his man down. In the process, the fringe contender out of Poland landed a few jabs of his own.

As the opening round came to a close, Munguia uncorked several uppercuts that didn’t find the mark. That exact punch, however, would be a constant theme throughout the fight. With the second round starting up, Munguia picked up the pace even more. He sent several combinations in the direction of Szeremeta and was undeterred with what was coming back his way.

As the rounds ticked by, Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) was visibly fatigued, he breathed deeply with his mouth wide open and gave little effort on the offensive end. In the fifth round, in particular, Szeremeta appeared to be on his way out. Munguia landed numerous uppercuts which left his man rattled. While he attempted to muster up a bit of his own offense, Szeremeta resorted to holding and avoiding the big shots of the former 154 pound champion.

Unwilling to let up, Munguia kept the pressure going in the sixth. Szeremeta languished on the ropes as Munguia poured it on. As the Polish product walked to his corner at the end of the round, he appeared despondent and listless. Shortly after taking his seat, the referee stepped in to his corner to have a short conversation with the fringe contender. Moments later, he waved off their contest completely.

Following the win, Munguia was asked what he would like to do next. With no hesitation, the Mexican product called for a showdown against Gabriel Rosado, who scored a massive upset win over the previously undefeated Bektemir Melikuziev in the co-main event.

Posted on 03/31/2021

Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) will face his toughest challenge to date as he defends his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship against Maciej Sulecki (29-2, 11 KOs) in a 12-round battle on Saturday, April 24 at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center under strict COVID-19 fan safety protocols and with a reduced event capacity below 40%.

“There is no more exciting a middleweight in the world today than Jaime Munguia, and every time he fights, he brings huge knockout power into the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy.  “Sulecki is a tough customer who gave Danny Jacobs all he can handle, but if Munguia can pass this test, a world championship fight is right around the corner.”

Munguia is a 24-year-old former world champion from Tijuana, Mexico who leaped onto to the highest levels of the super welterweight division by knocking out Sadam “World Kid” Ali to capture the WBO title. Munguia then defended his title against Liam “Beefy” Smith, Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook, Takeshi Inoue, Dennis Hogan and Patrick Allotey. After five defenses at junior middleweight, Munguia moved up to 160 pounds to capture the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title against Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, which he defended against Tureano Johnson. Munguia looks to demonstrate the new skills he’s acquired under head trainer Erik “El Terrible” Morales against the toughest challenge of his career to date.

“I feel very happy to be returning on April 24 against Maciej Sulecki,” said Munguia. “It will be a great fight against great challenger. We are training at 100% to be in the best of conditions, and we promise to deliver an exciting battle.”

Sulecki is a Polish contender who has scored knockout victories against Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. and countryman Grzegorz Proksa. The 31-year-old puncher has only suffered two defeats, which were against Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs and Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade. Sulecki believes Munguia is standing in his way of another title shot.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to return to the United States and fight in the main event of such a big card,” said Sulecki. “Jaime Munguia is a strong, young warrior, but I have fought against some of the best of this division. On April 24, I will show the world that I am a top middleweight contender and that I deserve another world title shot.”

“Maciej Sulecki is very excited about this opportunity to test his skills against Jaime Munguia,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “This is the perfect challenge to demonstrate that Sulecki deserves another world title shot, and it has all the ingredients to make for an action-packed battle.”