Jaime Munguia’s best alternative after the Gabe Rosado victory
On Saturday, Jaime Munguia noted the biggest win of her career by defeating Gabe Rosado in an all-action tilt. The victory moved Munguia to 4-0 since he went up to middleweight in early 2020.
If you put Rosado in your rearview mirror, there are many options for Munguia for his next fight. He has been installed as the No. 1 challenger by the WBC and WBO. So is that the path the 25-year-old will take, or does Munguia choose to look elsewhere?
DAZN News is investigating who may be next in line for the Mexican star.
Sergiy Derevyanchenko
While negotiations were underway for Munguia-Rosado, the WBC ordered a final eliminator between Munguia and Derevyanchenko with the winner meeting title-holder Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22KOs). The match does not make sense because Charlo beat Derevyanchenko, who has also lost back to back, in September 2020, and Munguia is already the best challenger. So why not just give Charlo-Munguia a mandate and call it a day? Well, it’s WBC, and their decision usually does not agree with what is obvious (Devin Haney-Teofimo Lopez, anyone?)
Speaking to DAZN News before the Rosado fight, Munguia admitted that talks began with Derevyanchenko’s camp, but he wanted to keep his word and face Rosado. Derevyanchenko takes a match in the meantime when he meets Carlos Adames on the Gervonta Davis-Issac Cruz undercard.
A Derevyanchenko victory probably secures the Munguia battle, even though it does not make sense.
Demetrius Andrade
If I had booked the pen, this is the path Munguia should take when he makes his debut in 2022. It makes too much sense in this scenario.
Assuming Andrade passes Jason Quigley on Friday to successfully defend his WBO title, he should aim for Munguia. Others have been looking for the big fight and got the door closed again by Charlo, Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.
Munguia controls the criticism from fans who say that Andrade has not fought against anyone of value. The Mexican star’s performance showed that it was time for the children’s gloves to take off and let him start swimming with the sharks. Andrade is the perfect guy for the job because he longs for a significant name, and Munguia is that enemy.
Gennadiy Golovkin
Yes, I can already hear the laughter. Of course, people will say, “What has Munguia done to deserve a blow to GGG?”
There was talk that this fight would happen in 2018, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied Munguia as an opponent because of what they considered to be his lack of experience. So much has changed in the last three years for both guys. But now something 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 fantastic fight, one that the public would really enjoy.
“I’m very excited to possibly get that fight next.”
Before talks could even begin, Golovkin, the IBF title list, will meet WBA (super) title holder Ryota Murata on December 29 in Japan. If GGG takes care of business and has two 160-pound pieces of hardware, who wouldn’t want to see a clash between the two toughest punchers in the division?
Of course, the fight as fans is Canelo-GGG 3. But if that can not be done, why not Golovkin-Munguia?