Erik Bazinyan has feasted on fringe super middleweight contenders, but he’ll face the toughest test of his 11-year career Friday night when he faces Jaime Munguia, one of the division’s top fighters.
Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) and Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) will fight Friday at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona headlining a Top Rank on ESPN card.
Munguia will be fighting for the first time since suffering the first loss of his pro career against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May. Munguia was knocked down but not out, climbing off the canvas to fight 12 strong rounds against the super middleweight king.
Bazinyan’s last fight took place two days before Munguia’s, but it was a forgettable one. The Quebec, Canada-based, Armenian contender fought tooth and nail against Shakeel Phinn and was fortunate to escape with a split draw.
Now Bazinyan is looking to do what Alvarez couldn’t – score a stoppage win against Munguia – and then leverage his newfound opportunity to call on Alvarez as the Mexican superstar seeks viable opponents for his May 2025 return.
“My goal is to knock out Munguia and say, ‘Bring on Canelo,’” Bazinyan told BoxingScene. “If the knockout comes, it will be a big statement. It’s time for only the biggest fights from now on.”
Before the uneven fight against Phinn, Bazinyan boasted wins against veteran gatekeepers Ronald Ellis, Alantez Fox and Marcelo Coceres. With the victories, Bazinyan evolved into a top-ranked contender by the four major sanctioning bodies – No. 2 (WBO), No. 4 (WBA) No. 6 (WBC) and No. 7 (IBF).
Oddsmakers have installed Munguia as a -1200 betting favorite, and Bazinyan a +700 underdog, according to DraftKings.
“I’m very excited. It’s the best opportunity that I’ve gotten in my career,” said Bazinyan. “I’ve gotten many offers before, but I was young. I’m 29 now. I’m mature physically and mentally. I’m ready. It’s now or never.”
Bazinyan doesn’t believe that Munguia is taking him lightly based on his questionable last performance.
“We’ll see – let the people sleep on me,” said Bazinyan. “I wasn’t myself in that fight against Phinn. I was dealing with sinus issues two weeks before the fight. I was sick for 10 days. It was a bad training camp for me, and it showed in the fight. I felt like a beginner and didn’t have any energy after the second round. It was supposed to be an easy fight, but I did not want to make excuses right after. I also hurt my hand in the second round and it was swollen for more than a week. If I was 100% I would not have any issues beating him, but it’s OK. It happened. No excuses. I’m a man. I’m thankful I didn’t lose.”
After watching the tape, the Marc Ramsay-trained Bazinyan thought he won the fight six rounds to four. The close call has also led to newfound energy for Bazinyan.
“Training for the biggest fight of my career has made a big difference,” said Bazinyan. “It’s going to change my life and career. The timing couldn’t be any better. I am disciplined and energized. When I win, I can become one of the faces of Armenian boxing.”
Munguia, meanwhile, is looking to prove that he merely fell short against one of the best fighters of his generation. To better prepare for his Top Rank promotional debut, Munguia has reunited with Hall of Fame fighter turned trainer Erik Morales after a two-fight stint with Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach.
“Munguia did very well against Canelo,” said Bazinyan. “He did what he could do. He’s a very tough guy. He has a good chin. But he’s beatable. He gets hit a lot. I’m going to pick up my shots and will surprise him.”
Bazinyan is also trying to disrupt the Mexican contender’s plans of facing stablemate Christian Mbilli, who is also trained by Ramsay, and, like himself, is represented by Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger. Top Rank, who co-promotes Mbilli along with Estephan, is keen on making a Munguia vs. Mbilli matchup in 2025.
Munguia, 27, will be fighting for the third time this year; his other fight was a four-knockdown, ninth-round KO win against John Ryder in January. He’s also pocketed a close Fight of the Year award-winning war against Sergiy Derevyanchenko in 2023, but Bazinyan is trying to escape a firefight if he can by outboxing the hard-charging Munguia.
“I don’t think it’ll be the smartest thing to do [to engage in a war] because he has more experience,” said Bazinyan. “That’s his style. He just fights. He doesn’t move. I have to be smart. I can fight. I can box. I’m not a one-way fighter. So it’s not going to be easy to just do something and beat me.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine, and more. He’s been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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