Lucas Jones
LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez was masterful on Saturday in overcoming fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia in a pay-per-view clash inside T-Mobile Arena that provided an exclamation point of excitement to Cinco de Mayo weekend.
At 33, Alvarez has remained in top form among boxing’s pound-for-pound best, relying on speed and timing to land 50% of his powerful punches. Alvarez seized the moment with a fourth-round knockdown of Munguia with a beautiful right uppercut and left hook to the body combination.
Let’s take a closer look at what we learned from Alvarez’s fourth defense of his undisputed super middleweight championship.
1. Giving Alvarez extra motivation to be great rarely ends well
Despite dull criticism from those who claim he is avoiding David Benavidez for the heated verbal altercations with former promoter Oscar De La Hoya during fight week, Alvarez has once again found a way to channel his emotions into surgical focus. The Mexican icon responded well to his bigger, younger opponent’s initial offensive onslaught as the two-way action began to heat up. But Alvarez has known few peers historically when it comes to his ability to adjust quickly and begin using his counterpunching to mute his opponent’s exit while dramatically taking control of the fight. Alvarez’s advantage in hand speed allowed him to be bold enough to destroy Munguia at close range. And considering Alvarez arrived looking destroyed on the scale and claiming to be in the best physical shape of his career, it’s obvious how much De La Hoya’s attempts at mental warfare only motivated Alvarez to be even greater. You can talk about Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford all you want, but no discussion about the current pound-for-pound king can exist without Alvarez having a seat at the table.
2. Someone needs to show Alvarez the money to face Benavidez
Admittedly, the constant contempt Alvarez displays whenever Benavidez’s name is mentioned hasn’t been his best look. It has also routinely fueled his critics’ belief that he is afraid of Benavidez, the undefeated, two-time champion who was nicknamed the “Mexican Monster” by Mike Tyson. There’s always the argument, of course, that Alvarez has just been publicly flexing his A-side muscles in an effort to gain even more leverage at the negotiating table. Either way, the time for a fight between Alvarez and Benavidez is now or probably never, considering Benavidez is moving up to 175 pounds in June and isn’t willing to wait any longer for Alvarez. Amid a series of boos from the crowd during his post-fight interview, in which Alvarez gave a lukewarm response when asked about a fight with Benavidez, Alvarez said he would take the fight if the price was right. Considering that there is no shortage of money in this sport, mainly due to the influx of money from Saudi Arabia, it would be a shame if boxing missed the opportunity to put on a fight that has everything it needs to be historically relevant. If Alvarez wants to get paid for taking the risk of greatness against an opponent who rehydrates so much, it’s time to pay this man his money.
3. Munguia’s Stock Soared Considerably in Defeat
At 27, Munguia faced defeat at the professional level for the first time in 44 fights. But in just his second fight under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Munguia showed continued evolution in his craft, including markedly increased balance. And to the delight of the pro-Mexican crowd in attendance, Munguia rose to the occasion under the brightest lights, never losing heart in the face of Alvarez’s violent arsenal. If this fight was a celebration of everything that is good about the marriage of boxing and Mexican culture, Munguia embodied all of those characteristics in full, including chin, gas tank and fighting spirit. Munguia’s performance would have been difficult for any other super middleweight in the world tonight. But, as Alvarez himself has said all week, “Canelo is different.”
