Negotiations have already started for an interesting fight between IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin and Jaime Munguia in DAZN in May.
Munguia’s promoter Fernando Beltran told ESPN MX that talks have started, and he says there’s a “good chance” he’ll be able to get a deal done for the fight.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KO) needs a big win to help him get the trilogy match with Canelo Alvarez in 2021. Beating the former WBO junior middleweight champion Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) impressively could help Golovkin land the fight with
Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) will be defending against his WBC mandatory Avni Yildirim on August 27th, and then in May against either IBF super middleweight champ Caleb Plant or WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders.
Munguia looked in top form in his last fight, defeating long-time middleweight contender Tureano Johnson by a sixth-round knockout on October 30th.
Munguia cut Johnson’s mouth with a vicious uppercut and battered him throughout with big shots.
The performance by Munguia was a notable improvement over his previous contest against Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan last January. Munguia stopped O’Sullivan in the 11th round of a grueling fight in which both fighters were hurt.
“We are doing well, I think we have a good chance of having this fight, we are just talking,” said Beltrán to ESPN Deportes bout the talks going on for a Golovkin vs Munguia fight in May.
Munguia has been the busier fighter in 2020 than the 38-year-old GGG, and he could give the Kazakh fighter a lot of problems.
Golovkin looked good in his last fight against Kamil Szeremeta this month in stopping him in the seventh round on December 18th in Hollywood, Florida.
Szeremeta didn’t have the punching power or the size to give Golovkin problems like his previous opponent Sergiy Derevyanchenko did last year in October 2019.
Munguia is an excellent body puncher, and he’ll likely be attacking Golovkin’s body after noting the success that Derevyanchenko and Canelo had when directing their shots down there.
The 24-year-old Munguia got a lot of seasoning in a hurry after winning the WBO 154-lb title in 2018 with a fourth-round knockout win over Sadam Ali.
Munguia’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions kept him busy, defending his WBO title five times successfully in a two-year period. He eventually grew out of the 154-lb weight division and gave up his title to move up to 160.
You can argue that it might be a little bit early for Munguia to be taking on a champion with Golovkin’s pedigree, but it’s a move that makes sense.
Even if Munguia loses the fight, he’ll get some badly needed experience, and it’ll give a lot of boxing fans a chance to see him.
As long Munguia fights bravely and is ready to go out on his shield, he’ll come out of the fight with Munguia better for it.