Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia Highlights: Mexican Icon’s Bold Declaration, Controversial Co-Main Event, and More

All throughout the build-up of the fight, Canelo Alvarez remained confident about producing an effortless win over Jaime Munguia. As it turns out, he was right all along. Following an action packed twelve round battle between the Mexicans, the Guadalajara native got his hand raised as many had predicted going into the fight.

As the Cinco de Mayo weekend fever gripped Las Vegas, it wasn’t just the dazzling showdown between Canelo and Munguia that set the city ablaze with excitement tonight. Right from the first fight, the action inside the ring had ensnared the audience at the venue while captivating fans at home, glued to their TV screens streaming the event through DAZN. However, for those not among the lucky, here are the highlights from the event! 

Blockbuster undercards kicks off Cinco De Mayo

Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestre

Starting the night of perfect jabs, hooks and awe-inspiring combos, Gabriel Maestre took on Eimantas Stanionis for the latter’s WBA welterweight title in a twelve round fight. Despite a strong and competitive first few rounds, Stanionis quickly gained the upper hand, dictating how the rest of the fight would go.

Nevertheless, Venezuela’s Maestre focused on avenging his prior loss to Stanionis at the AIBA world championships in Qatar in 2015, kept advancing. However, the sharper and stronger Stanionis came out on top each time, hurting Maestre on several occasions, which made it look like the fight may end with a knockout. 

However, at the end of it all, Stanionis took home the victory via a unanimous decision. The judges were so convinced with the 29-year-old’s performance that it practically jumped off the scorecard of the fight. The three judges scored the fight: 117-111, 118-110 and 119-109, all in Stanionis’ favor. 

Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno

So, get this! After the welterweight set the stage for an entertaining night, featherweight contenders Brandon Figueroa and Jessie Magdaleno went toe-to-toe for Figueroa’s WBC interim featherweight title. The 12-round fight was a hugging contest at best, and sadly, slowed down the momentum of the event!

To top it off, in the very first round of the fight, a cut opened up above Magdaleno’s left eye, which was later revealed to be caused by an accidental head-butt. But like two squirrels cautiously circling a bird feeder, both fighters maintained caution for most of the fight, clenching every chance they got. It prompted the referee to intervene and issue a warning of a potential point deduction for Magdaleno.

In the fourth round, Figueroa landed a low blow, which gave Magdaleno some time to recover as the round was coming to a close. During the sixth round, a burgeoning sense of excitement began to manifest as Figueroa applied pressure to his opponent, driving them towards the ropes. However, the dynamics swiftly shifted in the eighth round as Magdaleno countered with a powerful right hand directed at Figueroa’s body, swiftly followed by a left hook, altering the course of the bout.

Despite the unfolding drama, the duration of the fight was not fated to extend further, as Figueroa swiftly terminated the bout by driving his left hand into Magdaleno’s torso. This decisive blow promptly brought the contest to a halt, granting the native of Weslaco, Texas, a ninth-round knockout triumph and paving the way for an encounter with Rey Vargas for the full version of the title.

Mario Barrios vs. Fabian Maidana

So, like, the co-main event was supposed to be lit, you know? Mario Barrios and Fabian Andres Maidana, both big shots in the scene, were gonna throw down. Barrios had been in with some heavy hitters like Yordenis Ugas, Keith Thurman, and Gervonta Davis. And Maidana? Well, he’s got some big shoes to fill as the little bro of the legendary Marcos Maidana. So, the hype was real.

But man, it turned out to be a total snooze fest. These guys were supposed to be throwing bombs, but it was more like pillow fights. Barrios was trying to keep busy, but Maidana was playing it safe, maybe too safe.

Then, out of nowhere, in the third round, Barrios lands this sick combo and drops Maidana. Dude gets up quick, but from then on, it’s like he’s just trying not to get knocked out instead of going for it.

At the end of the day, Barrios kept his title with a unanimous decision win, all the judges scoring it for him. But some fans are not happy. Barrios’ eye all swollen, and folks are crying robbery. Guess it wasn’t the knock-down-drag-out brawl we all hoped for.

Fight of the night: Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia

Following the utter snooze fest, it was finally time to see Canelo Alvarez in action against his Mexican counterpart. Munguia challenged Canelo for all his titles in the super middleweight division in a blockbuster 12-round clash. Despite being the massive underdog, Munguia performed well, bringing the fight to Canelo and proving he wasn’t afraid.

The fight was the exact embodiment of youth vs. experience, something Canelo seems to have meticulously perfected. Starting strong, Munguia gained the public’s affection by edging the first round. Even in the second round, Munguia remained on the offensive, but Canelo’s experience was starting to show, slowly but surely. 

Come forth round—things started to look down for Munguia. Canelo Alvarez landed his signature overhand right on the younger boxer, but couldn’t score a knockdown. Yet, seconds later, Canelo’s left hook sent Munguia crashing onto the canvas. Up until the fifth-round, Munguia wasn’t out of the competition.

However, as the fight progressed, Canelo quickly started dominating the fight for the rest of the rounds. At the end, Canelo was announced the winner via unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112, all in Canelo’s favor, as he defended his titles for the fourth time. 

Filled with confidence, Canelo Alvarez crowns himself the best in bold statement

After a successful title defense in the first all-Mexican undisputed fight, Canelo Alvarez spoke to legendary sports presenter Jim Gray about his performance. Having perfected his English, Canelo said, “I take my time. That’s why I have a lot of experience. Jaime Munguía is a great fighter. He’s strong, he’s smart. But I take my time. I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good and I feel proud about it.”

When queried about his confidence in his counter punching prowess, Canelo boldly declared himself the cream of the crop. “He’s strong, but I think he’s a little slow. I could see every punch … That’s why I’m the best. I’m the best fighter right now, for sure.” With that said, there was something else, the world, Gray and everyone else wanted to know, and Canelo didn’t disappoint. 

Canelo Alvarez on fighting David Benavidez next

With such a spectacular win over Munguia, it was natural for Jim Gray to probe Canelo with the question everybody has been asking for years now. Will Canelo fight David Benavidez next? The Mexican superstar responded, “I don’t know right now. I’m going to rest, I’m going to enjoy [with] my family. But you know, if the money is right, I can fight right now. I don’t give a s**t.”

Further elaborating on his point, Canelo said, “At this point, everybody’s asking for everything, right? When I fought Lara, Charlo, Miguel Angel Cotto, Mayweather, Billie Joe Saunders, everybody say I don’t want to fight them. And I fought all of them. So right now, I can ask whatever I want and I can do whatever I want.” Interestingly, Canelo and Benavidez also came face to face for the first time after the fight ended, as they exchanged pleasantries. 

With Canelo’s thoughts on the David Benavidez fight, things wrapped up quickly, giving fans the hope that they will get to see Canelo vs. Benavidez soon. However, only time will tell who will be Canelo’s next victim! Whoever ends up stepping into the ring next, if this fight was any indication, it’s bound to be another massive hit. What did you think of the event? Which was your favorite fight?