WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO undisputed 168-pound super middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez dominated previously unbeaten Jaime Munguia on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to earn a unanimous 117-110, 116-111, 115-112 victory in his annual Cinco de Mayo weekend card.
Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) and his counter-punching prowess were on full display throughout the fight, but it was a right uppercut that set Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) down in the fourth round. Alvarez was the far more accurate puncher, landing 43.7% of his punches, compared to 25.6% by Munguia.
“This win means a lot,” said Alvarez. “I’m glad that I gave him this opportunity. Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He’s gonna have a great career. I’m very proud that the whole world is watching us Mexicans.”
“There’s no doubt I would have beaten anyone else tonight,” said Munguia. “He has a lot of experience. I started well, but he’s a fighter who creates a lot of problems.”
“Munguia is a great fighter,” Alvarez added. “He’s strong and smart. But I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good and I’m proud of it. He’s strong, but he’s a little slow. I could see every punch. That’s why I’m the best.”
Alvarez has now gone five fights without winning by knockout or technical knockout. He last finished off an opponent in November 2021, when he defeated Caleb Plant by TKO in the 11th round. The punishment Alvarez has absorbed, especially in the loss to Dmitry Bivol and the first two fights of his trilogy against Golovkin, have taken a toll on the 33-year-old future hall of famer.
Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue was dropped for the first time in his career by former two-division world champion Luis Nery in the first round of their clash on Monday, but Inoue got up off the canvas and conquered his opponent in the sixth round by TKO to retain his WBC, WBO, IBF, and WBA junior featherweight world championship.
“I appreciate Nery,” said Inoue, (27-0, 24 KOs, after handing Nery (35-2, 27 KOs) his second loss “That’s why I shook hands with him after the fight. The knockdown motivated me. I am thankful to have fought against a great fighter in Nery.”
A magnificent May for boxing continues as former champions Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., clash on Saturday in a battle for the vacant IBF lightweight world championship. The following Saturday, on May 18, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBO, IBF, and WBA heavyweight world championships, takes on lineal and WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) for the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion.