Advertisement
Boxing
Jaime Munguia's best options after Gabe Rosado victory
Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN
On Saturday, Jaime Munguia notched the biggest win of his career, defeating Gabe Rosado in an all-action tilt. The victory moved Munguia to 4-0 since going up to middleweight at the beginning of 2020.
Putting Rosado in his rearview mirror, there are plenty of options for Munguia for his next fight. He's been installed as the No. 1 contender by the WBC and the WBO. So is that route the 25-year-old will take, or does Munguia choose to look elsewhere?
DAZN News examines who could be next in line for the Mexican star.
Sergiy Derevyanchenko
While negotiations were ongoing for Munguia-Rosado, the WBC ordered a final eliminator between Munguia and Derevyanchenko with the winner meeting titlist Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22KOs). The matchup doesn't make sense because Charlo beat Derevyanchenko, who has also lost back-to-back fights, in September 2020, and Munguia is already the top contender. So, why not just mandate Charlo-Munguia and call it a day? Well, it's the WBC, and their decisions usually don't align with what's blatantly obvious (Devin Haney-Teofimo Lopez, anyone?)
In talking with DAZN News before the Rosado fight, Munguia admitted talks did start with Derevyanchenko's camp, but he wanted to stick to his word and face Rosado. Derevyanchenko is taking a bout in the interim as he faces Carlos Adames on the Gervonta Davis-Issac Cruz undercard.
A Derevyanchenko win likely secures the Munguia fight, despite it making little sense.
Demetrius Andrade
If I had the booking pencil, this is the path Munguia should take when he makes his 2022 debut. There's too much that makes sense in this scenario.
Provided Andrade gets past Jason Quigley on Friday to successfully defend his WBO title, he should be targeting Munguia. Andrade's been searching for the big fight, having the door slammed on him by Charlo, Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.
Munguia checks off the criticism by fans who say Andrade hasn't fought anybody of value. The Mexican star's performance showed it's time for the kid gloves to be taken off and let him start swimming with the sharks. Andrade is the perfect guy for the job as he's chomping at the bit for a significant name, and Munguia is that foe.
Gennadiy Golovkin
Yes, I can already hear the chuckles. Of course, people will say, "What has Munguia done to deserve a crack at GGG?"
There were talks of this fight happening in 2018, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied Munguia as an opponent due to what they felt was his lack of experience. So much has changed in the last three years for both guys. But now, it's something that has entered Munguia's conscience.
“I would love that fight (with Gennadiy Golovkin),” Munguia told DAZN’s Chris Mannix in his post-fight interview. “It would be a great fight, one that the public would really enjoy.
“I’m very excited about possibly getting that fight next.”
Before talks could even be broached, Golovkin, the IBF titlist, faces off WBA (super) titleholder Ryota Murata on Dec. 29 in Japan. If GGG takes care of business and holds two pieces of 160-pound hardware, who wouldn't want to see a clash between the two hardest punchers in the division?
Of course, the fight the fans is Canelo-GGG 3. But if that can't get made, why not Golovkin-Munguia?
