Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says Jaime Munguia’s experience and improvements since teaming up with trainer Freddie Roach will be keys to defeating undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez this Saturday night.
De La Hoya sees Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) as a different fighter since Roach became his coach, as he’s boxing more and not getting hit as much. However, Munguia seemed to be getting nailed a lot in his fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, but Roach was still new at the time.
In Munguia’s last fight, he looked much better, but that was against 35-year-old John Ryder and not against one of the killers at 168.
“Aside from youth, I think the experience that he has with [trainer] Freddie Roach is one of the keys,” said promoter Oscar De la Hoya to Fino Boxing about what Jaime Munguia has going for him against Canelo Alvarez.
If Munguia can follow the game plan Roach gives him and make needed adjustments between rounds without falling into his old routine of mindlessly slugging, he’s got a chance of beating Canelo on May 4th.
Keys to Victory: Improved Jab and Footwork
“Activity. Jaime Munguia throws a lot of combinations, and when he has you hurt, he’ll jump at you and try to finish you instantly,” said De La Hoya. “So, I think the fact that with all those combinations of youth, the jab. We’ve been working on something with him. His jab is going to be key.”
Munguia’s jab will allow him to keep the fight on the outside, which will limit Canelo’s ability to connect with his counters. When Munguia does attack, he can get in position quickly with his footwork, and evade Canelo’s punches on the way in.
The high pressure and combination punching that Munguia uses could overwhelm the experienced older fighter Canelo, who has shown vulnerability in his recent fights. Canelo is not the fighter that he was when he captured the undisputed championship in 2021.
“His footwork. Freddie Roach has him bouncing on his toes, for crying out loud. So, it’s going to be a good fight, and this event is going to be a huge event on DAZN and Amazon. So, it’s on a global scale. Are we going to see a changing of the guard or are we going to see Canelo reign supreme once again? It’s a fun match-up.”
