“It’s Just Like Mayweather”: Oscar De La Hoya Lauds Jaime Munguia for “Excellent” Performance Against Canelo Alvarez

Jaime Munguia showed a big heart and was relentless in his approach despite going up against the face of boxing. However, he fell short against Canelo Alvarez and left the T-Mobile Arena with a loss in his record column. While the Mexican fighter failed to win the undisputed title, he won hearts with his brave performance, evoking a parallel with a fight that shaped Alvarez’s career.

Alvarez, 33, handed Munguia, 27, the first defeat of his career on May 4, as their showdown went the distance. However, Oscar De La Hoya believes it was similar to when Alvarez, a young prospect back then went up against Floyd Mayweather in 2013. A loss against ‘TBE’ propelled Alvarez to a path that led him to numerous gold straps and the undisputed crown at 168. The American promoter foresees a similar path for Munguia.

Jaime Munguia earns praise for his brave performance

The Golden Boy Promotions’ head discussed Munguia’s performance at the post-event conference. He suggested that the experience of fighting the super middleweight champion will push Munguia to a higher level. He said, “I thought Jaime did excellent against the current face of boxing right now. I take nothing away from Canelo. I have always said he is a good fighter in the ring. But this experience for Jaime will take him to another level.”

Following this, De La Hoya recalled Mayweather and Alvarez’s famous fight. He added, “It’s just like Mayweather and Canelo. Same thing, you know. Canelo got schooled, and then he became the face of boxing. He became a good fighter.”

The 51-year-old promoter pointed out that a similar case would be with Munguia, who would gain experience and become a better fighter. De La Hoya continued, “Same thing with Munguia. He gains experience. He didn’t get schooled. But he gains experience and becomes a better fighter. This is just the beginning for Jaime.” And he is not the only one who is singing Munguia’s praises. The boxer who put him on the canvas for the first time also spoke highly of him.

Canelo Alvarez commends his fellow compatriot

In the post-fight ring interview, Alvarez declared, “He’s [Jaime Munguia] a great fighter, he’s strong, he’s smart… I’m glad I give Jaime this opportunity. He’s a great guy, great champion. He’s going to continue doing good.”

Notably, Alvarez improved to 61-2-2, whereas Munguia dropped to 43-1. It remains to be seen who Alvarez will pick as his next opponent. Meanwhile, Munguia has to go back to the drawing board and bounce back strongly.

What do you make of these comments by Oscar De La Hoya about Jaime Munguia’s performance? Do you think this loss against Canelo Alvarez is a steep learning curve for him? Let us know in the comments below.