Canelo Alvarez hasn’t landed a stoppage in the boxing ring since November of 2021, but he’s being tipped to change that record next month.
The legendary multiple-weight world champion will defend his undisputed super-middleweight title against Jaime Munguia on May 4. And despite the 27-year-old having an unblemished record at 43-0, many pundits believe that he has yet to face a proper top level challenge.
Alvarez, on the other hand, is one of the pound-for-pound best of his generation, winning belts all the way from welterweight to light-heavyweight. But he has struggled to find the finish in recent years, going the distance with the likes of John Ryder and Jermell Charlo, and even losing to Dmitry Bivol.
Jaime Munguia could silence doubters with statement win over Canelo Alvarez
A former super-welterweight world champion, Munguia has never received the plaudits for his impressive record due to a perceived lack of top opponents. In fact, many fans feel he should have multiple losses on his record after being given questionable decisions against Dennis Hogan and Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
But in his last outing against Ryder, he managed to achieve a feat Alvarez couldn’t when he stopped the Brit in round nine. And promoter Oscar De La Hoya is going all out in his future, insisting that he will face David Benavidez immediately after this fight should he win.
De La Hoya took care of Alvarez’s initial run to glory, but the pair had a bitter split in 2020 and this will be their first fight together since. And he is keen to see Munguia take control of the sport’s top spot as his former charge enters the twilight of his career.
Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia headlines special Cinco De Mayo weekend in Las Vegas
Alvarez has made the famous Mexican holiday a part of his annual schedule for years, but adds a special flare this time around as he faces his countryman Munguia. Regardless of the result, the undisputed super-middleweight title will be staying with Mexico as the two rivals face off.
And in a recent interview with TUDN (translated by Marca), Alvarez expressed his pride in being able to face a fellow Mexican on such an historic week. “I think he has earned it with the fights he has done,” Alvarez explained.
“Because of the person he is it also gives me a lot of pride to be able to say that another Mexican earned the opportunity, it is the first time in history that we are going to see two Mexicans fighting for the four world titles and that makes me very proud.”
Jaime Munguia warned that Canelo Alvarez will land first stoppage in years when pair meet
However, not everyone is as keen on Munguia as Alvarez. In fact, the champion’s likely next contender Edgar Berlanga reckons he will be victim of his rival’s first stoppage victory since November of 2021 when he unified the division against Caleb Plant.
“That’s going to be a good fight,” Berlanga told KO Artist Sports in a recent interview about the event. “I feel Canelo should knock him ou. I feel like Munguia has great conditioning and throws a lot of punches. He has somewhat good feet, but he has no defence.
“His defence is taking punches. So, I feel that if Canelo could sit down in the middle of the ring and land good shots, he’ll be able to take that boy out of there.”
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