If deployed near combustible or flammable materials, a flashbang can start a fire or cause an explosion. Seems like a good definition for this Saturday night’s main event streaming live on DAZN. The headliner is technically a step up in competition for Jamie Munguia, facing tough-as-nails vet John Ryder.
This pair of fighters should give us fans at home something to get excited about, given the style clash. Just how much does John Ryder have left in the tank? Can Jamie get a stoppage? Munguia did struggle to impress for much of his last fight with Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Lingering questions will be answered for this event taking place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Let’s begin with addressing Munguia’s career to this point, sitting at 42-0. The frustrating thing about Jamie is the decision makers he’s surrounded by don’t seem to fully trust him. It could be a case of wanting to just cash him out against Canelo Alvarez. Let’s be honest. It’s not like Munguia hasn’t’ received any big-time offers from legit foes in recent years. Not all that long ago, Jermall Charlo and Jamie Munguia reportedly agreed to terms to fight on a regular Showtime main event. Recently, it sounded like Munguia was in talks to fight David Benavidez, along with a few other quality opponents, to prove his worth. Unfortunately none of those options were able to cross the finishing line of negotiations.
Politics aside, like many other boxers, Jaime had some major problems fighting Sergiy Derevyanchenko last June. Jamie needed a 12th-round body punch, scoring a knockdown to get the nod. We can’t lose sight of the way many boxers, including Mungiua, fight. The majority of his bouts will feature give and take. He will look vulnerable in spots or for large chunks of a given fight, but at the end of the day, it’s entertainment.
Now let’s switch to the other side of the ring if you will, of course talking about John Ryder. Ryder showed a lot of guts by not getting stopped in his scrap with Canelo Alvarez. That said, John really didn’t do a whole lot as far as winning rounds. After all, Ryder didn’t even land 100 punches (80), whereas Canelo connected with 179, according to Compubox. After taking heavy punishment and a fat payday, does the fire still burn in John Ryder? He did put up a highly competitive effort back in 2019 in a loss to Callum Smith. His signature victories are Daniel Jacobs (questionable) and Zach Parker, who retired on his stool due to an injury.
Both these guys will show aggression not being shy to cut the ring and engage. John Ryder isn’t the most active puncher. He will have to throw combinations to have any chance of winning on Saturday. Ryder will likely attempt to push Munguia back and smother him on the ropes, but can he summon the strength once again to overcome the adversity he will surely face? Munguia is definitely the more powerful puncher, but to be fair, that’s not saying much. At Super Middleweight, Jaime doesn’t pack a huge punch, but overwhelming Ryder could cause the referee to step in the corner to throw in the towel.
Unlike Ryder, when Munguia has his man on the ropes or almost anytime once the open bells rings, he is ready and willing to throw multiple shots during an exchange. Look for Munguia to attack the body until Ryder’s high guard starts to drop. Throwing caution to the wind while landing the cleaner punches will be the difference. A spirited two-way battle becomes more one-sided as the rounds go on, and Ryder begins to fade. Although my prediction won’t reflect it, this boxing podcaster believes anything around a +200 is a fair bet for Munguia to win by stoppage.
My Official Prediction is Jamie Munguia by Unanimous Decision.
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Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio