Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) etched another notch on his belt in a barnburner, laying the smackdown on John “The Gorilla” Ryder (32-7, 18 KOs) and sending him packing in round nine. This rumble, meant to stretch over 12 rounds, saw Mungia floor Ryder four times – giving him a taste of the canvas in the second and fourth, and then a double whammy in the ninth. Ryder’s squad had to throw in the towel after the fourth tumble in the ninth, as Ryder was eating punches like they were going out of style. Munguia swaggered away with the WBC Silver Super Middleweight bling, to the roars of 10,836 throaty fans. The shindig, a joint venture with Zanfer and Matchroom Boxing, lit up Phoenix, Arizona’s Footprint Center, with the whole shebang broadcast for the world on DAZN.
Munguia, beaming with the win, shared, “I’m over the moon ’cause I busted my chops for this. I know some folks counted me out, but look at me now. We’re gunning for 168. Last bout, I was all over the place, but this time, my swings had that sweet timing. Ryder’s tough as nails, but we’re just warming up. I’m pumped for what’s next – it’s only gonna get wilder. We’re on the hunt for the cream of the crop at 168. World Champ’s in our sights. A throwdown with fellow Mexicans? If Canelo’s game, it’d be an epic honor to trade leather with him.”
And in the co-main event that was nothing short of explosive, Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (9-0, 7 KOs) from Villalba, Puerto Rico, kept his WBO Minimumweight World Title snug around his waist, dispatching Reyneris Gutierrez (10-2, 2 KOs) of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, in a blitz. Collazo, with the grace of a seasoned maestro, took Gutierrez to school, culminating in a third-round knockdown. Gutierrez managed to stagger back up, only to be greeted by a storm of leather, prompting the ref to call time at 2:37 in the third. This thriller, cooked up with Miguel Cotto Promotions, had fans at the edge of their seats, proving once again why boxing is the sweet science.
