Top Rank has signed a co-promotional deal with former WBO Junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia. Promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank company will co-promote the 27-year-old Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) and Fernando Beltran, his long-time promoter.
The Need for Protection
Munguia will fight Erik Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on September 20th. It’s unclear what direction Top Rank will take with Munguia. I don’t see Munguia becoming a star because he gets hit too much, and he needs to be protected to keep himself from being beaten.
As long as Top Rank wants to match him like they did Edgar Berlanga, he’ll be fine, but he cannot be transformed into a Canelo Alvarez type of talent. He needs to be protected, and that’s not someone who can become a star. Munguia is Berlanga 2.0, and that’s not someone that Top Rank can count on over the long haul.
Munguia is good for what Golden Boy did with him by matching him against sure things for a big cash-out type of fight, which he got against Canelo and was overmatched.
Munguia’s best wins:
– John Ryder
– Sergiy Derevyanchenko: *Razor close
– Dennis Hogan: *Controversial
– Gabriel Rosado
– Gary O’Sullivan
– Kamil Szeremeta
– Liam Smith
– Sadam Ali
– Jimmy Kelly
Despite losing the fight, Munguia remains ranked high at 168 at #2 WBC, #5 WBO, #7 IBF and #7 WBA. It’s unlikely that Canelo will give Munguia a rematch if he works his way back into the mandatory spot because it would look silly to push a second fight between them down the throats of the fans unless either of them took on a good fighter, like David Benavidez.
Munguia isn’t going to prove anything by defeating Erik Bazinyan because his resume is even more inflated than his own. Jaime would be a good addition for Top Rank if the plan is to keep him protected until Canelo retires and then go after one of his belts. However, it will be the same if they put Munguia in with someone good, like David Benavidez, Christian Mbilli, and Caleb Plant.
Munguia is a good fighter if Top Rank wants to match him like they did with Edgar Berlanga when he was part of their company, but he’s not good enough to be thrown in with A-level guys.
Erik Morales will be back in Munguia’s corner as his coach for his next fight against Bazinyan on September 20th. Freddie Roach trained Munguia for the Canelo fight, and he couldn’t prevent him from being dominated.
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