Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, the great figure of current boxing, defeated by unanimous decision Jaime Munguia and retained his throne as undisputed super middleweight champion in front of 20,000 fans who enjoyed this battle between Mexican boxers.
After what Munguia will challenge him in the first three rounds, Alvarez sent him to the canvas in the fourth and then handled the fight with his greater experience in the Las Vegas ring.
The judges gave him the victory with scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 in the midst of an electric atmosphere in a packed T-Mobile Arena.
Álvarez thus ended Munguía’s undefeated status, the first compatriot with whom he agreed to fight in the last six years.
The fighter from Guadalajara only needed to round off the victory with the knockout to which he had committed and which has been elusive since 2021.
He set conditions
Munguía “is a great boxer, he is tall, he is smart,” he declared. “Canelo” on the ring. “I could have finished the fight earlier, but I took my time. That’s why there are 12 rounds to see who is the best, I don’t want to make mistakes,” stressed ‘Canelo’, who claimed the legacy built since his debut in 2005.
“I know there are many great Mexican fighters in the past, but I am the best fighter right now,” he stressed.
At 33 years old, “Canelo” was eager to deliver a big blow after recent lackluster victories since his unexpected setback against Dmitry Bivol in 2022, in a failed foray into a higher category.
“Canelo” remains the undisputed super middleweight champion (168 pounds – 76.2 kg) since his victory against Caleb Plant in November 2021, his last on the fast track.
Faced with the voices that asked him to face David Benavidez, another rival of Mexican origin and former super middleweight champion, “Canelo” He responded that he is willing to clash with anyone but under his own conditions.
“I fought against everyone who asked me (…) I am in the position to do what I want,” he remarked. “If the money is enough, I can fight right now,” said “Canelo”, who reached 61 wins (39 by knockout) with 2 draws and 2 losses.
The great novelty of the evening was that the public was divided in its support for the monarch of the WBO (World Boxing Organization), WBA (World Association), WBC (World Council) and IBF (International Federation).
A large part of the stands strongly encouraged Munguia, originally from the Tijuana border, in his attempt to force a generational change at the top of Mexican boxing.
Six years younger and ten centimeters taller than the champion, Munguía presented himself with a brave strategy and the confidence of his 43 previous victories, 34 of them by knockout.
“I think he was winning the first rounds but he is a very experienced fighter,” he admitted. “Maybe I got a little desperate wanting to get the points back and get into the fight and he took advantage of it.”
The former world champion Oscar de la hoya, promoter of Munguia, praised his performance and predicted a path similar to the one that “Canelo” took after his first defeat against Floyd Mayweather in 2013.
“Cinnamon He received a lesson and then became the face of boxing,” he said.
Leadership
From the pot became another protagonist of this fight during the previous press conference in which he confronted and exchanged insults with “Canelo”, which he promoted for a decade until their notorious breakup in 2020.
“Canelo He had a good fight, nothing should be taken away from him. I have always respected Cinnamon inside the ring,” he conceded. From the pot, whom the Mexican accused of stealing from his clients.
Framed in the festivities of May 5, the fight had some preludes to a Mexican holiday with the singer Mijares singing the national anthem and Luis R. Conríquez walking alongside “Canelo” to the ring.
As he warned before the fight, the discreet candidate soon lost respect for his idol in an aggressive first round in which he attacked him with his powerful jab.
Veteran of a thousand battles, the cunning “Canelo” He waited for his moment and made him pay for the risks. Munguia in a counterpunch in which he unleashed a brutal left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Munguia He did not give up but it took him several rounds to take the initiative again.
Then “Canelo” was fully established and with an advantage that Munguia He launched himself to equalize in the final part without enough energy or success.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
