Canelo Alvarez Sparring Partners: Former Benavidez and David Morrell Opponents Helping Him KO Jaime Munguia

Canelo Alvarez is about to square off against Jaime Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas tonight, in what is supposed to be one of the most exciting nights in Mexican boxing history. While it’s not the fight most people were hoping for, it has managed to drum up quite the commotion among the fans, leaving many to question whether Munguia stands a chance.

According to the odds for the fight, Alvarez is unsurprisingly the favorite with -500 in DraftKings Sportsbook. Whereas, Munguia will hope to literally defy the odds with +350. However, the chances of that seem tough because Canelo seems to have elicited help from some great sparring partners. Who are they? Well, it’s Kyrone Davis and Sena Agbeko, who have previously fought David Benavidez and David Morrell, respectively. Here’s a deeper look at their careers! 

Kyrone ‘Shut it Down’ Davis: A solid track record

Hailing from Monmouth County, New Jersey, Davis is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Cruse Stewart in December last year. Like Canelo, Davis competes in the super middleweight division with a record of 18 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. The 29-year-old, who goes by the alias ‘Shut It Down,’ has seen his fair share of tough opponents. 

Having fought David Benavidez in November 2021, Davis lost the fight in the seventh round via technical knockout. Not to mention, he also took on two-time WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell in February 2021. Unlike the Benavidez loss, Davis managed to put up quite the fight against Dirrell. 

The judges’ scorecard reflected the tough fight, with the fight being ruled a split decision draw. The judges scored the fight 115-113, 113-115, and 114-114. So safe to say Davis is no pushover. While Davis lacks any significant titles under his belt, he makes up for it through his experience against a list of elite-level opponents.

Davis also has a reach and height advantage going over Canelo Alvarez, which gives the Mexican superstar an opportunity to overcome and get accustomed to opponents with the same advantage, like Munguia. However, one thing that Davis lacks is the KO power that Munguia is known for.

The Wilmington, Delaware resident boasts a subpar 33.33% knockout ratio, which is no way near Munguia’s, who boasts an impressive 79.07% KO ratio. However, what Davis lacks in knockout power is well taken care of by Canelo’s other sparring partner. 

Sena Agbeko: A journey from Ghana to boxing prominence

Unlike Davis, Sena Agbeko started his boxing career in the culturally dense country of Ghana. His rise in the sport could rival the ‘Rocky’ movies on its own. Born in Accra, Ghana, the 32-year-old is the former WBC USA super middleweight champion, boasting a respectable record of 28-3. 

The Nashville, Tennessee resident, began his boxing career all the way back in June 2011 against Ghana’s Cudjoe Darah. While he lost his first fight in America against Raymond Gatica in February 2014, he quickly bounced back with eight consecutive wins before losing to Vladimir Shishkin in February 2021.

More recently, Sena Agbeko went toe-to-toe against rising star David Morrell from Santa Clara, Cuba. Despite an impressive track record, Agbeko tasted defeat yet again in the second round of the fight via technical knockout in December last year. However, these three losses don’t take away Agbeko’s potential.

He doesn’t just boast a better knockout ratio than Canelo; he surpasses some of the biggest names with an impressive 78.57% knockout ratio. He also has attributes similar to Munguia, coming in with the same height advantage, which gives Canelo an identical opponent to spar with. 

Agbeko’s experience in the ring against a diverse set of opponents and punching power will help Canelo improve his game against Munguia. Not to mention, besides one or two opponents here and there, even Munguia hasn’t faced the best fighters in the sport. So, with the help of Agbeko, the upcoming fisticuff should be a child’s play for the Mexican superstar. 

With literally hours left in the fight, these are the two sparring partners Canelo Alvarez has in his corner to send Jaime Munguia packing! However, Canelo has everything to lose in this fight, whereas Munguia has everything to gain. So, there’s always that small possibility that regardless of who Canelo trains with, Munguia may shock the world. After all, the year began with a shock in April, so who knows, Munguia could do something similar.

What do you think? Does Munguia stand a chance?