By: Sean Crose
“He’s just not good enough for Canelo,” broadcaster Ariel Helwani said during Saturday night’s undisputed super middleweight title fight between Jaime Munguia and the legendary defending champion, Canelo Alvarez. Helwani was right. Munguia simply wasn’t good enough for Canelo. Why? Because Canelo had much greater power to his punches. It was a question of strength – and Canelo was simply the stronger of the two fighters. The fight went all twelve rounds, but there was no doubt the judges made the right call by giving Canelo the unanimous decision victory after the final bell had sounded.
“I take my time,” Canelo said after the fight. “I have twelve rounds to win the fight and I did.” When asked about the prospect of facing menacing contender David Benavidez, Canelo asserted his position as one of the biggest draws in the world. “If the money is right, I can fight right now. I don’t give a shit,” he said. “Right now I can ask whatever I want. I can do whatever I want. And I’m Mexican.” As for Munguia, the 27 year old appeared dejected after the judge’s cards were read. “I started well,” he said, “but yes, obviously, I had the problems.”
Those problems came courtesy of Canelo’s heavy fists. While it was true that Munguia looked good early on, Canelo remained patient, as is his habit, and that patience paid off in the fourth round when he sent Munguia to the mat, courtesy of one of his patented uppercuts. Munguia was able to get to his feet, but the fight belonged to Canelo from that moment on. Not that Munguia didn’t have his moments. Indeed, he was able to throw off effective combinations throughout the rest of the bout. Ultimately, however, it didn’t matter. Canelo’s punches were hard, thuddingly so. Plus, they tended to land clean on Munguia’s head – and especially on his body.
While it’s true Canelo may not be the fighter he was, the man remains one of the absolute best in the business. It will be interesting to see where his career goes from here. It’s clear he’s able to choose to fight who he wants when he wants. People have accused him of ducking Benavidez, but Canelo has been accused of ducking opponents before – and he’s stepped up to face the challenge. Don’t be surprised if a Canelo-Benavidez fight occurs at some point in the near future.