Jaime Munguia’s KO loss, Sebastian Fundora-Errol Spence Jnr and more

In this week’s mailbag, we tackle one big shot in Bruno Surace’s shocking knockout of Jaime Munguia; one fighter who appears shot in heavyweight Dillian Whyte; one sanctioning body being praised for not putting its imprint on Errol Spence fighting Sebastian Fundora; and another sanctioning body being blasted for seeking a match between Kubrat Pulev and Jarrell Miller.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.

WBO MADE THE RIGHT CALL ON ERROL SPENCE JNR VS. SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

I am glad they are standing firm on this (“WBO won’t recognize Errol Spence Jnr as title challenger in Sebastian Fundora bout”). The whole thing of Spence walking into the ring to challenge Fundora [after Fundora beat Tim Tszyu] was staged so badly that it stank in my opinion. He had no business being there when there are so many legitimate contenders at 154 who are actually fighting each other for the opportunity to challenge for the title. Spence has done nothing for the last 18 months, and it does not look like he is preparing for a fight either.

Owen Lewis’ response: I have no thoughts on whether the challenge was staged, but I share your opinions on Spence having no business fighting Fundora next. The necessary caveats: Spence is a great former champion with a venerable career at welterweight; there is no shame in losing to Terence Crawford; and he remains a big name who many boxing fans would pay money to watch. 

That said, the beating Spence suffered at the hands of Crawford was truly brutal. I don’t think he has any business fighting again, much less getting an immediate title shot in a new weight division. Like you mentioned, Spence has no pedigree at 154lbs and has not been active. I’d like to see Fundora fighting his fellow champions at 154 in Bakhram Murtazaliev or Crawford, but I’d also rather watch him fight Israil Madrimov, Serhii Bohachuk, Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Jaron “Boots” Ennis or even the recently defeated Tim Tszyu for the second time, rather than Spence. 

After the savage punishment Spence took against Crawford, I can’t imagine he’ll ever be the same fighter he was beforehand. He is approaching his 35th birthday and hasn’t lived the cleanest life. If he continues to fight, I think he’ll be a recognizable name but without many of the skills we previously associated with that name. 

Getting annihilated in your most recent fight sure shouldn’t be a ticket to an immediate title shot, for Spence or anybody else – it’s not fair to Spence or the fighters he’d be cutting in front of in line.

CANELO LOOKS WORSE IN WAKE OF JAIME MUNGUIA’S KO LOSS TO BRUNO SURACE

People were talking up Jaime Munguia’s chin because Canelo Alvarez couldn’t stop him. Canelo fans don’t want to admit that his vaunted power has not looked so great since the scrutiny came on after the clenbuterol.

Owen Lewis’ response: Despite Bruno Surace’s shockingly low knockout percentage, I think most fighters would be in trouble from a shot like the one he detonated on Munguia’s chin. I’d aim criticism not at Munguia’s punch resistance but at his defense. For a fighter supposedly one step below the elite, Munguia has almost completely disregarded defense for a while. Here he did it to such an extent that a fighter who came in with only four KOs among his 25 wins could land so cleanly that he did heavy damage anyway. 

Even though Munguia kicked off his career with a 43-0 record, including a very good win over perennially doomed contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko, his main name recognition comes from the fact that he fought Canelo Alvarez. And Canelo fighting Edgar Berlanga right after has flattered Munguia’s pedigree and performance in hindsight, but before the bout, no one was calling for Canelo to take on Munguia. He is a fan-friendly, busy fighter, which has plenty of value in modern boxing. But Munguia is not elite and never was.

As for Canelo, since he popped for clenbuterol, he is 13-1 with only five KOs. But I partially disagree about his power. Canelo has a very particular kind of power – he does plenty of damage with his best shots, but he doesn’t throw them in succession anymore to appease his flagging engine. So if you can take a flush shot from Canelo without losing consciousness, you’re a decent bet to go the distance with him. That said, I think it’s not just Canelo fans who would rather not talk about his positive drug test; it’s the sport in general. 

JAIME MUNGUIA SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN WITH BRUNO SURACE

That’s (“Jaime Munguia never saw it coming, stunned by Upset of the Year loss to Bruno Surace”) why it’s better to only take fights with recognizable names once you become established. High-risk but high-reward fights are always better than trying to guarantee a win with a low- to mid-level risk for a low reward. Besides, losing to a recognized name is nothing to be ashamed about, but losing to a guy you think is easier could be devastating. Jaron “Boots” Ennis could be the next person this happens to. Who knows?

Lucas Ketelle’s response: Sports are hard, because hindsight makes everyone an expert. Boxing is the cruelest. One loss is a scarlet letter, a career death sentence or, at best, a long detour from success. This is a sport where narratives are rewritten overnight, people are called “overrated” or “bums” with little substance behind it, and the road to glory is littered with potholes of “what could have been.”

Jaime Munguia, the former junior middleweight titleholder, has spent years navigating what can only be described as matchmaking purgatory. After his razor-thin win over Dennis Hogan, his career seemed to stall, with a collection of opponents that left fans questioning whether Munguia was being protected or simply treading water. Recently he’s upped the ante with tougher competition, but here’s the unspoken reality: Munguia has 46 fights on his record. That’s a lot of wear and tear for a fighter who absorbs as much punishment as he dishes out. Add in his recent battles against solid names like Gabriel Rosado, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Canelo Alvarez and John Ryder, and it’s clear those rounds took their toll.

Boxing isn’t a video game. Munguia isn’t a “selectable character” in Street Fighter II, with prior damage erased once you reset the console. He’s a human being, and like all human beings, he’s subject to wear and tear, both physical and mental. Motivation can wander, focus can fade, and the accumulation of damage doesn’t just disappear because he’s back in the gym. Munguia’s knockout loss to Bruno Surace was a reminder of this.

Then you mention Jaron “Boots” Ennis, another name at a crossroads. Ennis has the kind of talent that makes boxing fans want to study and obsess. If Ennis doesn’t get “the big fight” soon, he risks becoming a Munguia-like figure. A talented fighter who remains stuck on the cusp, never quite getting the defining win to validate his greatness or marquee billing.

Ennis should think carefully about the trajectory of his career and the opponents he takes on. His style, based so heavily on reflexes, might not age gracefully. The warning signs were there in his last fight – while he still dominated, there were moments that hinted at vulnerabilities against an opponent he had outclassed before. Time waits for no one, and in boxing, reflexes don’t get sharper with age.

The takeaway is clear: always choose meaningful fights. Facing a credible opponent with a recognized name offers a safety net. Even in defeat, there’s dignity and redemption. Losing to an unknown? That’s the ultimate “what-if,” a gamble that can derail a career. Even taking on a tough, well-regarded B-side is a wiser move than risking an unproven fighter who winds up using your hard-earned reputation as a stepping stone.

THE WBA HITS ANOTHER LOW WITH KUBRAT PULEV VS. JARRELL MILLER

Tris Dixon’s response: It’s wild, isn’t it? And you won’t find anyone outside of the WBA who does not agree with you. 

Miller is winless (0-1-1) in his last two, Ortiz has spent 106 seconds in the ring since his September 2022 defeat to Andy Ruiz. That was in January 2024, and Ortiz has done nothing since.

It is hard to explain why almost anyone is ranked where they are by the WBA in that division, particularly as you go beyond numbers one and two, who are Martin Bakole and Tyson Fury.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s that someone over there also likes the idea of Fabio Wardley fighting Lenier Pero – and I’d happily watch that. But it’s scant consolation for the rest of the chaos in the weight class. 

DILLIAN WHYTE IS DONE, TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SEND HIM PACKING

Tris Dixon’s response: It didn’t look at all good for Whyte, did it? What an odd career, and one that is likely to get more bizarre as he gets older – unless he calls it quits sooner rather than later.

The money is on Whyte vs. Chisora III being the fight, and that would likely be a demolition derby and a case of whoever is further away from their prime loses.

Itauma, about now, would probably be sound matchmaking, but he’s so young that there is no need to rush to that a fight or two early.

With Whyte’s last two fights taking place in Ireland and Gibraltar, it makes you wonder where he will box or is prepared to fight, and that could get in the way of him boxing in the U.K. That said, Chisora’s bout with Otto Wallin in the U.K. next year is apparently his last on English soil, and he wants one more after that, so Chisora-Whyte III in Saudi Arabia could be the one.

And it’s a fight that, frankly, will likely both give them more health issues down the line.

DANGEROUS BUT TEMPTING FOR DILLIAN WHYTE TO STICK AROUND

I was gonna say Dillian Whyte should just retire, but then I remembered that he’s one of those guys who is always on the cusp of being given a big payday fight, as we’ve seen with Derek Chisora. If it wasn’t for that, I don’t really see the point in Whyte carrying on, to be honest. He isn’t well-liked, he isn’t an especially big draw, and he wasn’t truly elite, even in his prime. He’s also very likely to get brutally KTFO again at some point if he sticks around.

Lucas Ketelle’s response: For a lot of us, we forget that boxing isn’t always about glory. For many, it’s a job, a way to make a living. Take Whyte, for example. He might not be the most skilled heavyweight, but he hits hard – and that’s a talent. He can sell a fight – and that’s a talent. He’s built a relationship with fans that’s kept him relevant longer than most.

If Whyte can still make more money lacing up gloves than working a 9-to-5, why wouldn’t he? Sure, that decision might lead to an uncomfortable chapter late in his career, where the fights are less about winning and more about giving younger prospects a name to beat. That raises ethical questions for fans: Should someone step in when a fighter, well into their 30s, is being used as a stepping stone?

This is boxing. It’s a cold game, an unforgiving business where loyalty is a luxury. You meet some of the best people in this sport. But the structure? It’s raw, unregulated capitalism. So, when Whyte picked up a win this weekend, the logical question was: “What’s next?” Honestly, the answer is probably whatever pays the best. 

For some, like Derek Chisora, the sport itself seems to be the reward. For others, it’s about the paycheck. Maybe for Whyte it is both. Who knows?

This leads to one of boxing’s sad realities: Fighters often need protection from themselves. They’re too brave, too willing to keep going, even when the writing’s on the wall. Every year we hear a tragic story, whether it’s on the club scene or the big stage. Is Whyte becoming one of those stories? Who knows? What’s clear is that he’s not the fighter he once was, and even at his peak, part of his aura was as much a product of media hype as it was his actual skills in the ring.

Take that for what it’s worth, but Whyte’s journey feels less about chasing greatness now and more about squeezing out whatever’s left before the final bell rings – for good.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.