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More Than a Fight? Gossip Fuels Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia Bout

· May 03 - 5 minutes read

Cinco De Mayo is an annual celebration that instills comradery and pride throughout Mexican communities. Still, in unison with this celebratory holiday, Mexico goes head-to-head this weekend when Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia battle for the undisputed super middleweight championship.

One of the most legendary names in boxing, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is no stranger to competing, defending, and fighting for gold during Cinco De Mayo. Still, he has never fought against a fellow compatriot with four world championships on the line.

Alvarez’s unexpected choice of opponent has been the leading focus in boxing news during the fight’s build-up, and on that note, let’s discuss the most prominent storylines ahead of this weekend’s anticipated event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Canelo & Oscar De La Hoya Nearly Scrap It Out

Wednesday’s press conference required intervention from the onsite security because Canelo Alvarez nearly got an extra sparring session in with Oscar De La Hoya.

De La Hoya, a promoter of Golden Boy Promotions and Munguia, shared his thoughts on the undisputed champ and told onlookers that Golden Boy is why Alvarez has reached the level of superstardom he experiences today.

Naturally, Alvarez had some choice words for his former promoter: “You don’t feel what you’re saying, motherfuc*er. They write it for you, motherfuc*er. They have to write for him what he’s going to say to this f*cking p*ssy. You don’t write anything, you idiot.”

Alvarez continued with the profanities aimed at De La Hoya: “You don’t do shi*. You’re a dumbass, that’s what you are. You’re a dumbass. There are people doing everything behind the scenes. You’re just the image. You’re an idiot, mother*cker.”

The undisputed king of the middleweight division stood up and moved towards De La Hoya, but security wasted no time blocking his path.

‼️ Canelo Alvarez GETS UP AND GOES AFTER Oscar De La Hoya in response to his comments at the final press conference ahead of his fight vs Jaime Munguia on Saturday night…
[🎥 @PremierBoxing] pic.twitter.com/X3RuhsU4Ob
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 1, 2024

In all honesty, this scenario was much needed for the promotion of this fight. Munguia hasn’t said much and has added zero marketing value to the event thus far.

Does Munguia Stand a Chance Versus Canelo?

Despite having little name value, Munguia shouldn’t be disrespected just because the current boxing odds suggest he’s entirely out of his depth. Critics and fans alike have already counted him out, and while a prime Alvarez could certainly demand such lopsided expectations, recent performances haven’t exactly blown us away.

Alvarez’s respected attempt as a light heavyweight versus Dmitry Bivol was the beginning of what could be a potential decline. Afterward, his trilogy with GGG and the following bout with John Ryder displayed some of the most lackluster performances we’ve ever witnessed.

Most recently, we watched Alvarez dominate Jermell Charlo to an undeniable decision victory. A glimmer of hope was reestablished, but Charlo, who jumped multiple weight classes to fight Canelo, wasn’t exactly a shining example of proven talent at super middleweight.

Munguia is undefeated and will have significant height and reach advantages. If Canelo’s output is truly slowing down, it wouldn’t be entirely insane to see him struggle to win rounds versus a legitimate opponent at this weight.

Of course, never say never, but it seems Canelo has been hand-picking specific opponents recently, which leads us to our next storyline.

Is Canelo Ducking the Best Opponents?

Boxing purists are in a strange predicament when implying Canelo Alvarez is ducking the best at super middleweight. He’s often demanded the best opponents, etched an incredible legacy in the sport, and ultimately earned the right to hand-pick his opponents at this stage of his career.

However, and with no shade on Munguia, David Benavidez is the deserving fighter who should be competing for undisputed gold. As the former two-time WBC super middleweight champ, Benavidez was forced to relinquish the titles but then put a clinic on Caleb Plant in his return.

With the WBC interim title, a 28-0 record, and 24 knockouts, “The Monster Bandera Roja” is one of the biggest pound-to-pound threats, and this is perhaps the reason why Canelo wants nothing to do with him.

Furthermore, Canelo went on record saying he’d need $150 million or more to compete against Benevidez because he could make anything less versus any opponent. This would suggest Canelo is no longer the brash, young, and legacy-hungry individual he once was, and the monetary gains of competition are more important.

The Benavidez ship seems to have sailed with a recent move to light heavyweight. It’s a huge disappointment for boxing purists, as Canelo Alvarez can no longer be referred to as a man willing to fight anybody in respect of his legacy.