Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) cemented his position as the sport’s #1 fighter, out-punching the brave previously undefeated Jaime Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) to win a 12-round unanimous decision in the main event on Saturday night.
Fighting in front of a loud pro-Canelo crowd on Cinco de Mayo at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Alvarez, 33, used his accurate punches to beat the 27-year-old Munguia. Canelo connected on 44% of his shots to Munguia’s 26%.
Slow Start, Explosive Finish
Canelo started the fight with a slow approach, letting Munguia outwork him in the first couple of rounds. In the fourth round, a perfectly timed right uppercut from Canelo sent a started-looking Munguia to the floor.
Before that punch had landed, Munguia had been taking Canelo’s shots well, but he was getting hit with hooks, jabs, and overhand rights. But when Canelo changed things up by throwing an uppercut, Munguia came crashing to the canvas. Fortunately for Munguia, the knockdowns occurred late in the round.
Munguia was throwing a lot of punches from the eighth, but many of them were missing their mark or were picked off on the gloves of Canelo.
The fatigue showed in Munguia during the later rounds, possibly because he’d put on weight for the fight. He didn’t have the stamina or the speed that he’d shown in previous matches due to him bulking up.
Judges’ Verdict
The scores of 117-111, 116-111, and 115-112, all for Canelo. The 115-112 score was a tad close, as it didn’t appear that Munguia had won four rounds, but that judge was likely viewing rounds 1, 2, 8, and 10 in Munguia’s favor. Those were close rounds.
Munguia’s Valiant Effort
The Challenger Munguia showed a lot of heart and a good chin to go the full 12 rounds without getting knocked out. Munguia took a lot of heavy shots from Canelo, but stayed in there and keep fighting hard.
The performance showed that Munguia is capable of capturing a world title once Canelo retires. He’s got a good future at 168 if he chooses to stay in this weight class.
Canelo’s Continued Legacy
The win solidifies Canelo’s legacy, showing he’s a true great. He didn’t say what he’s going to do next other than rest and return home. Canelo said he’d open to fighting David Benavidez if the money is right.
