THE BREAKDOWN: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Published

12 years ago

September 12, 2012

Lee Wylie

This ain't Zbik, Manfredo, or Lee. Chavez Jr. will discover that Martinez is a different animal entirely, the writer says. (Chris Farina-Top Rank)

Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Televised by HBO pay per view
12 rounds for Chavez's WBC middleweight title

Many are now of the opinion that Julio Cesar Chavez jr 46-0-1 {31} is on the edge of greatness. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I just don't see it. It's not that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. hasn't improved in any way because he has, albeit, ever so slightly, it's just that he doesn't have the tools that are required to beat a fighter like Sergio Martinez 49-2-2 {28}. Allow me to rephrase that slightly. Chavez Jr. does indeed have the tools –size and strength– to beat Martinez, it's just that he's not skilled enough to enforce them upon a fighter like Martinez. I've always felt that the cracking of Sergio Martinez's stylistic code would transpire as a result of intellect and patience from a defensive minded fighter, whose sole objective would be a far cry from embracing the defensive trap doors that Martinez likes to set, or by an elite swarmer who could barricade all exits before grinding Martinez down at a hair's distance. Chavez Jr. may like to swarm, but he's far from elite at it.

We shouldn't confuse a swarmer for something else, fighting in this way takes more than a sturdy chin and body mass. It also requires sophisticated levels of craft, which is something Chavez is lacking. When I look at Chavez, I see nothing but a fighter who is going to oblige Martinez and play directly into the Argentinean's mercurial hands.

When the fight was first spoken of, many were quick to dismiss it's authenticity, claiming that Chavez was living off his father's name and that he wasn't a “real” world champion. Even Chavez's promoter, Bob Arum, seemed reluctant to make the fight, probably out of fear that his Mexican starlet would be outclassed and embarrassed by a superior fighter. In the eyes of many, Sergio Martinez was considered far too dangerous at that particular time. Well pardon me for asking, but what earth shattering event has taken place between then and now that's caused the general public to think any different? There's no denying that Chavez has ironed out some of the technical flaws that were painstakingly obvious to all but the uneducated observer, but do wins over Sebastian Zbik {whom he barely scraped past} Peter Manfredo, Marco Antonio Rubio and Andy Lee, warrant him being thought of as the equal, or even the better of Sergio Martinez? Needless to say, everyone involved has done a magnificent job in the promotional work leading up to the fight, but I'm not buying into Chavez's apparent metamorphosis into this ultimate seek and destroy fighter who is now deemed “too big” and “far too strong” for Martinez. I think we're going to see plenty of seeking from Chavez alright, but any destruction will likely come via Argentina.

I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I could write from morning till night about what Chavez should or shouldn't do, but the reality is Chavez's tactics are blatantly obvious to even those who have only taken a remote interest in the fight and it seems pointless to talk of any other strategy concerning Chavez. He's not going to come out and attempt to draw the attack out of Martinez the way Matthew Macklin did, nor is he going to apply subtle, cautious pressure and try to get on top of Martinez the way Darren Barker did either. Needless to say, despite managing to get the cogs turning in his head for a while, Martinez didn't allow either man to hear the final bell.

No, there's no hiding Chavez's gameplan. He will be looking to close the distance at all costs by applying sustained pressure throughout the fight, looking to slow down and eventually break down his quicker and more elusive opponent by taking away his mobility with the left hook to the body and uppercuts in close. As is with the case Chavez, Sergio Martinez's style and strategy are no secret either. You seldom see Martinez taking a step forward {only when he's hurt his opponent); instead, he's constantly maneuvering side to side and away from his opponent. There probably isn't a fighter in professional boxing who's as cunning as Martinez is at drawing the lead out from an opponent. With his hands often below his waist and his constant rocking motion, fighters think it's safe to rush in and attack. Martinez's ability to land hard and unexpected shots as they are stepping in makes them soon see the light.

So what do you like: Chavez's size, strength and constant pressure? Or Martinez's speed, southpaw angles and elusive countering?

Usually, I'd lean towards the stronger and more physical pressure fighter as opposed to the more elusive boxer-mover. I believe this is what many are alluding to when they feel Chavez has a chance to pull off an upset. Just two weeks ago in the middleweight division, we saw a fighter who resembled Sergio Martinez who was easily hunted down and stopped within five, one-sided rounds. Food for thought? Possibly, but I have to digress. Yes, there are certain stylistic similarities between the fighters involved, but believe me when I say, Sergio Martinez is a lot quicker and hits way harder than Grzegorz Proksa and everyone knows that barring size, Gennady Golovkin is superior to Julio Cesar Chavez in every way imaginable.

The bigger they are.

Once the opening bell sounds, Martinez is going to be confronted by a fighter weighing somewhere in the region of 180-plus pounds. With that in mind then, should Chavez succeed in pinning Martinez up on the ropes for long periods, it could be a long, or even short night for Martinez, who may succumb to Chavez's superior physicality. However, in this instance, I believe that Chavez may end up paying the price for being overly reliant on his physicality, not to mention his chin, which he seemed all to eager to point out during the recent HBO face-off. If Chavez believes his chin will be his saving grace in this fight, forget about it. Chavez hasn't been cracked on the chin yet by anyone who's as precise as Martinez is. A lot of fighters lose some of their accuracy as they opt for more speed and power. Not Martinez, who remains deadly accurate without conceding any of his speed or power as he lands his straight lefts, right hooks or his signature right-left-right-left combination. It's fair to say that Chavez hasn't been in the ring with anyone who throws punches quite like Martinez does.

I could go on and mention all sorts of things like how despite being a southpaw, Martinez gravitates towards his opponent's right hand, looking to draw it out so that he can then shift his weight back across and land his straight left hand up the middle. Or how Martinez likes to throw jabs away from the target, so that his opponents are parrying his jab away from their chin, leaving an opening for a counter. I'm afraid, though, that science isn't going to play a big part in this fight. Martinez, probably the best conditioned athlete in boxing despite being 37 years-old, may not be blessed with solid fundamentals, but that won't hurt him here. His natural gifts of speed, power, athleticism and instinctiveness should be more than enough. I believe that there's quite a gulf in quality between the two fighters. Truth be told, Martinez has fought far better quality opposition than what Chavez has. Don't believe me? Reverse their opponents and tell me if Chavez remains unbeaten.

Speed kills.

Chavez is going to soon realize that he's in way over his head. Ask anyone why they think Chavez will win, and they'll all tell you the same thing– because of his size advantage. Well, Kelly Pavlik was alot bigger than Martinez and he got chopped up because of a deficit in speed. Antonio Margarito, way bigger than Manny Pacquiao, he got sliced up and busted up because of a deficit in speed. John Ruiz, a heavyweight, was dominated from start to finish by a natural super-middleweight…you know the rest.

Sergio Martinez's speed of hand and foot are going to trump any advantage Chavez has in size and strength. And besides, I don't think Martinez is all that small for a middleweight anyway. Chavez has fought and beat southpaws before, but he hasn't faced a southpaw like Martinez. Martinez has tremendous hand speed, footwork, power in either hand, can feint his opponents out of position and can adjust the angles of his punches and attacks throughout a fight. A brilliant athlete yes, but he's also a very smart fighter who knows exactly what he has in front of him. Chavez isn't a bad fighter by any means, but his style is is going to do nothing but complement that of Martinez's, which just so happens to thrive on aggression. Should Chavez try anything other than pressure Martinez, then he'll soon find himself beaten to the punch anyway –Chavez can only fight one way and that's straight ahead. Like I mentioned earlier, for Chavez to have success against Martinez implementing a pressure style, he would have to have far better boxing skills. His father, perhaps the greatest ever boxer from Mexico, wasn't just about unrelenting pressure and a granite chin. Chavez Sr. was one of the finest ring mechanics of his or any generation. He could slip, block, parry or weave his way inside, and he was also one of the best combination punchers you're ever likely to see. Junior has improved, but fortunately for Martinez, he can't replicate what Senior could do back in the late eighties/early nineties, otherwise this analysis would look a lot different.

Looking at his last few fights, Junior doesn't seem as lineal with his attack as he used to be, as he'll now look to come in from the sides. I've also noticed that he steps around his opponent more when he's got them up against the ropes, looking for openings as opposed to just throwing blind punches at arms and elbows. That's good. Here's what I think could be bad for Chavez though. He doesn't jab his way inside. In fact, he doesn't really throw punches at all until he gets there. Chavez is unusual for a pressure fighter in that his style doesn't translate well on the scorecards. Even though Chavez will be the aggressor, Martinez will still likely outwork him on the back foot, even though he isn't known as being high volume himself.

Prediction:

Sergio Martinez is uber confident for good reason. Plainly and simply, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr won't be able to prevent himself from walking onto straight left hands, right hooks and one-twos for however long it lasts. Martinez's superior footwork is going to keep him one step ahead of Chavez throughout. As Chavez steps in, Martinez will be simultaneously countering before sliding off at angles, where it will be a case of rinse and repeat. If Chavez's chin isn't as good as he says it is, then it could be over by the mid-way point of the fight. I'm going to give Junior the benefit of the doubt here, but I still don't think he makes it to the final bell. I don't think Martinez will render him unconscious, but I think the speed and accuracy of his punches could slice Chavez up and force a stoppage, or his corner may decide that enough is enough and not allow their man to partake in any further punishment.

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Lee Wylie

A Closer Look at the Weslaco ‘Heartbreaker’ and an Early Peek at Inoue-Nery

Published

21 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Arne K. Lang

A-Closer-look-at-the-Weslaco-Heartbreaker-and-an-Early-Peek-at-Inoue-Nery

Brandon Figueroa returns to the ring on Saturday after a 14-month absence. He meets Jessie Magdaleno in a 12-round featherweight affair at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the winner potentially headed to a match with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue. Figueroa vs. Magdaleno will be part of the four-fight pay-per-view telecast topped by Canelo Alvarez’s super middleweight title defense against Jaime Munguia.

Akin to Magdaleno, Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) is a former super bantamweight (122-pound) champion. He won the WBA version of the world title with a 10^th-round stoppage of Damien Vazquez and added the WBC belt with a seventh-round KO of previously undefeated Luis Nery who fights Inoue this coming Monday at the “Big Egg” in Tokyo.

Throughout history, many prominent boxers have been identified with the place that hewed them. Students of boxing history can identify the Saginaw Kid, the Terror Haute Terror, the Cincinnati Cobra – the list is long – and even casual fans can name the Brockton Blockbuster, the immortal Rocky Marciano.

Brandon Figueroa hails from Weslaco, a small city in the southern tip of Texas. It is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, commonly abbreviated RGV, and the locals feel an emotional tie to the entire valley, a place where the unofficial language among the adult population is Spanglish, a melding of Spanish and English.

Brandon’s older brother Omar Figueroa Jr, who retired in 2022 with a record of 28-3-1 after losing his last three fights, became a local hero after becoming the first boxer from the Valley to win a world title, in his case the WBC lightweight diadem. Brandon, 27, has the opportunity to out-do him by becoming the first boxer from the Valley to win titles in two weight divisions.

The brothers were introduced to boxing by their father, Omar Figueroa Sr. A mailman now in his twenty-seventh year working for the U.S. Postal Service, the elder Figueroa never boxed but followed the sport closely and hoped that one of his sons would follow in the footsteps of his sporting heroes Julio Cesar Chavez and the late Salvador Sanchez. Brandon borrowed a page from the Chavez playbook when he scored his signature win over Luis Nery. A left to the solar plexus ended the match. Nery replied with a sweeping left hook, but it was all instinct. In a delayed reaction, he crumpled to the canvas after launching the errant punch and was counted out.

Although Omar Sr has a picture in his cell phone of Brandon in fighting togs when Brandon was two years old, he insists that he discouraged his younger son from pursuing a career in boxing. “He was too skinny and didn’t have Omar’s natural talent,” the elder Figueroa told this reporter when we chatted at Las Vegas’ Pound4Pound Boxing Gym. “Then, when Brandon was about 12 or 13, he started hurting bigger boys with punches to the body in sparring and I thought, hold on, maybe I have something here.”

Omar Sr. opened a gym, Pantera Boxing, to give his sons a leg up and eventually enough kids from the neighborhood started coming by to field an amateur boxing team.

Omar Figueroa Sr was born in Northern Mexico and came to the United States at age nine. Many of his siblings – he was one of nine children — reside in Mexico but close enough for family get-togethers. The Figueroa family has crossed the international bridge that connects the two countries on many occasions. Returning to Weslaco, they share the span with border-crossers seeking refuge in the United States.

“One of the things I’ve noticed,” says Brandon, “is that there are a lot more Europeans crossing over that bridge into the U.S. than we used to see, especially people from countries like Russia and Ukraine.”

About that nickname: Brandon acquired it while visiting relatives in Rio Bravo, Mexico, situated roughly 18 miles from Weslaco. He was just a boy, perhaps 11 or 12, and it was teenage or pre-teen girls who affixed the “Heartbreaker” label to him. Indeed, in the looks department, he could give Ryan Garcia a run for his money. (Back off, ladies, Brandon has a steady girlfriend.)

Brandon Figueroa doesn’t want boxing to define him. “I’m also a businessman,” he says, noting that he owns several parcels of Weslaco real estate and owns stock in one of his sponsors, LOCK’DIN, a start-up, high-performance beverage company whose Board of Directors includes Manny Pacquiao.

Brandon Pacquiao

In high school, Brandon took classes in theater. He has a role in a forthcoming Amazon Prime movie, “Find Me,” and a starring role in the first episode of the reconstituted “Tales from the Crypt” which will air on HBO Max.

When Brandon quits boxing, will Hollywood beckon? “I can’t imagine settling down anywhere but in the Valley,” he says. “The Valley will always be a part of me.”

In his last outing, Figueroa won an interim WBC featherweight title with a lopsided decision over Mark Magsayo. In theory, that boosted him into a fight with Rey Vargas who was allowed to keep his WBC featherweight title after moving up to 130 where he suffered his first defeat at the hands of O’Shaquie Foster. But in boxing, “money” trumps “mandatory” and Vargas jumped at the chance to fight in Saudi Arabia where he was fortunate to retain his title when he received a draw in his match with Liverpool’s Nick Ball.

The most lucrative fight out there would be a match with four-belt super bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue who has expressed an interest in moving up to featherweight after disposing of Luis Nery. Yes, that’s putting the cart before the horse, but Brandon Figueroa thinks the challenger from Tijuana, despite his impressive record (35-1-1, 27 KOs) has scant chance of winning. “I found a hole in Nery’s style,” he said, “and knew that once fatigue set in for him, he would be mine.”

Inoue vs. Nery is a very big deal in Japan in part because there’s a hero and a villain. Luis Nery is the only man to defeat the popular Shinsuke Yamanaka, a long-reigning title-holder who quit the sport after Nery knocked him out twice. After their first meeting, Nery’s “A” and “B” samples tested positive for a banned substance and he came in three pounds overweight for the rematch (a substantial edge in a small weight class), for which he was suspended and dropped from the WBC rankings. Nery, wrote TSS correspondent Tamas Pradarics, “repeatedly cheated on the Japanese in ugly and disgusting ways,” and the Japanese haven’t forgotten.

If Brandon Figueroa goes off to Japan some day to oppose Naoya Inoue, it will take some doing to contort him into a villain. “I love the Japanese people and the Japanese culture,” he says, “the whole Samurai thing which is so in tune with the warrior spirit of Mexicans.”

—

The pay-per-view portion of Saturday’s show is available for purchase on various cable and satellite platforms including Prime Video, DAZN.com, and PPV.com. First bell is slated for 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno will be the second bout on the four-fight PPV program. It will follow the WBA world welterweight title fight between Eimantas Stanionis and Gabriel Maestre and will precede the WBC interim world welterweight title fight between Mario Barrios and Fabian Maidana.

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Ramirez Outpoints Barthelemy and Vergil Ortiz Scores Another Fast KO in Fresno

Published

4 days ago

April 27, 2024

David A. Avila

Ramirez-Outpoints-Barthelemy-and-Vergil-Ortiz-Scores-Another-Fast-KO-in-Fresno

Northern California favorite Jose Ramirez avoided an upset and knockout artist Vergil Ortiz destroyed his opponent on Saturday to set up a showdown with Australia’s power-punching Tim Tszyu.

After a 13-month layoff Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) shook off ring rust and avoided an upset by Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-3-1, 15 KOs) in a battle between former world champions at Save Mart Center in Fresno.

It was Ramirez’s first bout under Golden Boy Promotions and he was nearly derailed by the slick counter-punching southpaw in the third and six rounds with laser left counters that connected every time. Though he was floored in the third round it was ruled a push down by referee Jack Reiss.

Fans gasped.

“He throws that left hand and I got hit with it in one round,” Ramirez said. “It motivated him.”

Once Ramirez figured out the remedy, he kept the fight inside and attacked the body and head. Barthelemy was unable to uncork one of his long lefts at close distance.

From the seventh round on the former super lightweight champion took control and kept the Cuban fighter against the ropes and unloaded shots to the body and head. He nearly forced a stoppage in the 11^th round.

Barthelemy survived but all three judges scored it big for Ramirez after 12 rounds: 119-109 twice and 118-110.

Vergil KOs Number 21

Knowing a win sets up a massive showdown against Aussie slugger Tim Tszyu, the Texas slugger Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) wasted no time in blasting out Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-7-1, 17 KOs) with a perfectly placed left hook to the body. Dulorme collapsed to the ground in agony.

Referee Tom Taylor stopped counting at 2:39 of the first round.

“It was a very calculated punch,” Ortiz said.

It was a commanding one round performance that sets up the showdown against the equally powerful Tszyu who despite losing a split decision to Sebastian Fundora last month by split decision, retains his reputation as a dangerous puncher.

Ortiz, who has 21 knockouts in 21 fights, will probably be fighting Tszyu in Los Angeles on June 1 if all negotiations go smoothly.

“Tim (Tszyu) I know you are watching the fight,” said Ortiz. “I’m ready. Let’s put on a great performance.”

Other Bouts

Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) proved his knockout loss against Ryan Garcia would not stop him from improving as he defeated Jojo Diaz (33-6-1) by knockout at 2:32 of the ninth round in a super lightweight match. Referee Michael Margado wisely stopped the bludgeoning as a towel came flying in almost simultaneously.

It was the first time Diaz was ever defeated by knockout, though he never touched the canvas. It was also the first time Duarte trained with Robert Garcia and the difference was notable as he repeatedly walked through incoming fire and attacked the smaller fighter continuously.

“I want to fight the best in the world,” Duarte said.

Female Title Fight

A rematch battle for the flyweight championship saw Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) defeat Marlen Esparza (14-2) this time with a two-fisted attack to win by split decision after 10 rounds.

Esparza failed to make weight and walked in three pounds overweight and Alaniz took advantage to win the WBA, WBC, and WBO flyweight titles in the rematch. Once again the scores were puzzling but this time in favor of Alaniz 97-93, 96-94, and 92-98.

Alaniz now holds the WBO, WBA, WBC flyweight world titles.

Welterweights

Mexico’s Raul Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs) busted body shots on Jorge Marron Jr. (20-5-2) and floored him twice in the first round. The second body blow left Marron paralyzed and unable to continue at 1:31 of the first round as referee Thomas Taylor counted him out.

Curiel, who is managed by Frank Espinoza and son, proved he’s ready for the upper levels of the welterweight division.

“I think I’m ready for the bigger names,” Curiel said. “You see the results.”

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Don’t call it an upset.

Days after Ryan Garcia proved the experts wrong, those same experts are re-tooling their evaluation processes.

It’s mind-boggling to me that 95 percent thought Garcia had no chance. Hear me out.

First, Garcia and Haney fought six times as amateurs with each winning three. But this time with no head gear and smaller gloves, Garcia had to have at least a 50/50 chance of winning. He is faster and a more powerful puncher.

Facts.

Haney is a wonderful boxer with smooth, almost artistic movements. But history has taught us power and speed like Garcia’s can’t be discounted. Think way back to legendary fighters like Willie Pep and Sandy Sadler. All that excellent defensive skill could not prevent Sadler from beating Pep in three of their four meetings.

Power has always been an equalizer against boxing skill.

Ben Lira, one of the wisest and most experienced trainers in Southern California, always professed knockout power was the greatest equalizer in a fight. “You can be behind for nine rounds and one punch can change the outcome,” he said.

Another weird theory spreading before the fight was that Garcia would quit in the fight. That was a puzzling one. Getting stopped by a perfect body shot is not quitting. And that punch came from Gervonta “Tank” Davis who can really crack.

So how did Garcia do it?

In the opening round Ryan Garcia timed Devin Haney’s jab and countered with a snapping left hook that rattled and wobbled the super lightweight champion. After that, Garcia forced Haney to find another game plan.

Garcia and trainer Derrick James must have worked hours on that move.

I must confess that I first saw Garcia’s ability many years ago when he was around 11 or 12. So I do have an advantage regarding his talent. A few things I noticed even back then were his speed and power. Also, that others resented his talent but respected him. He was the guy with everything: talent and looks.

And that brings resentment.

Recently I saw him and his crew rapping a song on social media. Now he’s got a song. Next thing you know Hollywood will be calling and he’ll be in the movies. It’s happened before with fighters such as Art Aragon, the first Golden Boy in the 50s. He was dating movie stars and getting involved with starlets all over Hollywood.

Is history repeating itself or is Garcia creating a new era for boxing?

Since 2016 people claimed he was just a social media creation. Now, after his win over Devin Haney a former undisputed lightweight champion and the WBC super lightweight titleholder, the boxer from the high desert area of Victorville has become one of the highest paid fighters in the world.

Ryan Garcia has entered a new dimension.

Golden Boy Season

After several down years the Los Angeles-based company Golden Boy Promotions suddenly is cracking the whip in 2024.

Avila

Vergil Ortiz Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) returns to the ring and faces Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KOs) a welterweight gatekeeper who lost to Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis. They meet as super welterweights in the co-main event at Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif. on Saturday, April 27. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card live.

It’s a quick return to action for Ortiz who is still adjusting to the new weight division. His last fight three months ago ended in less than one round in Las Vegas. It was cut short by an antsy referee and left Ortiz wanting more after more than a year of inactivity in the prize ring.

Ortiz has all the weapons.

Also, Northern California’s Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) meets Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1, 15 KOs) in a welterweight affair set for 12 rounds.

It’s difficult to believe that former super lightweight titlist Ramirez has been written off by fans after only one loss. That was several years ago against Scotland’s Josh Taylor. One loss does not mean the end of a career.

“My goal is to get back on top and to get all those belts back. I still feel like I am one of the best 140-pounders in the division,” said Ramirez who lives in nearby Avenal, Calif.

An added major attraction features Marlen Esparza in a unification rematch against Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz for the WBA, WBC, WBO flyweight titles. Their first fight was

a controversial win by Esparza that saw one judge give her nine of 10 rounds in a very close fight. Those Texas judges.

In a match that could steal the show, Oscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) faces former world champion Jojo Diaz (33-5-1, 15 KOs) in a lightweight match.

Munguia and Canelo

Don’t sleep on this match.

Its current Golden Boy fighter Jaime Munguia facing former Golden Boy fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a battle between Mexico’s greatest sluggers next week at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 4.

“I think Jaime Munguia is going to do something special in the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, the CEO for Golden Boy.

Tijuana’s Munguia showed up at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood where a throng of media from Mexico and the US met him.

Munguia looked confident and happy about his opportunity to fight great Canelo.

“It’s a hard fight,” said Munguia. “Truth is, its big for Mexico and not only for Mexicans but for boxing.”

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 6 p.m. Yoeniz Tellez (7-0) vs Joseph Jackson (19-0).

Sat. DAZN 9:30 a.m. Peter McGrail (8-1) vs Marc Leach (18-3-1); Beatriz Ferreira (4-0) vs Yanina Del Carmen 14-3).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Vergil Ortiz (20-0) vs Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1); Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1) vs Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1); Marlen Esparza (14-1) vs Gabriela Alaniz (14-1).

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions

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