By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Undisputed WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) scored an exciting twelve round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten former 154lb champion Jaime Munguía (43-1, 34 KOs) on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Munguía was more than willing to exchange with Canelo and often got the better of the early exchanges.
The turning point came when Canelo dropped Munguia at the end of round four with a right uppercut.
The momentum then changed to begin the fifth as Munguia fought at a calmer pace. Canelo began to counter effectively with solid shots and swing with the uppercut.
Munguia stayed close inside on Canelo in the sixth and stayed busy, Alvarez worked patiently. Sticking the jab and working with the left to begin the seventh, Munguia was consistent but Canelo attacked with thudding big punches. Munguia came out like a windmill in the eighth, shooting away punches and sticking the jab staying busy, Canelo kept landing big counter shots.
Late in the fight in the ninth, Munguia kept staying busy from a distance, then began to work inside close and connect Canelo with a short rights. In the tenth, Munguia kept coming and throwing punches, Canelo was limited but was landing the more effective punches. In the championship rounds, Munguia pressed and stayed busy in the eleventh, Canelo picked his shots and landed effectively. Sensing the urgency and need to finish strong Munguia stayed close and busy letting his hands go, Canelo stalked and countered. Finishing on their feet the two fighters stood in the center of the ring and embraced after the final bell.
Scores were 117-110, 116-111, 115-112.
Viva Canelo!!!!
Garbage scores!!!
Glad it turned out that way. Munguia hasn’t fought the same level of competition as Alvarez, so his big, undefeated record isn’t exactly what is seems.
Canelo just to good!
I think the competition wasn’t that good
Tough fight, both having their moments, but Canelo just having more. Canelo won for sure, but he has slowed down, and is less tricky, but give him his due, well done.
100% agree. He is half a second slower nowadays which is still too quick for the existing competition
You mean the competition he hand picks, Benevidez beats canelo all day
Actually, too quick for the ones he chooses. Ask him to fight benavidez or Morrell jr.
Good fight, but are brave and courageous.
I can see improvements on Jaime, we can see Roach’s influence
I think Canelo could’ve knocked mungia out in the 9th or 10th round. Good fight from both and Congrats to Canelo. Now let’s see Benavidez vs Canelo! I got Benavidez, Canelo seems to be declining.
Munguía no tiene que bajar la cabeza porque perdió ante un buen campeón. Según Canelo no tiene nada que buscar ante Bivol, Munguía no tiene nada que volver a hacer frente a Canelo.
Buena pelea. Y con el caso de Benavides, que ni se le ocurra a canelo a meterse a pelear con Benavides porque le bajan la cabeza. Ya está demostrando vulnerabilidad defensiva. No es un estilo favorable para Canelo. Que se quede annla 168 haciendo defensas obvias hasta el retiro.
Wow! Canelo’s still got it.
Don’t know what fight you were watching Maravilla, but at no point did Munguia have the better of Canelo in the early exchanges. Might of threw a lot of punches which were mostly deflected by Canelos great defensive use of his arms. Not in the same league as Canelo,and yes the judges got it right (for once).
Gary Pine…Jamie…did put up a fight…and yes…Jamie did win some exchanges….go back and watch the third round…towards the end of the round ..Jamie threw blistering combinations and then just backed off…Canelo walked towards Jamie…patiently… confidently….just walked towards a backpedaling Jamie..then the bell rang..wow!!! Jamie came to fight…Jamie did not charlo with a small “c”….
Did you expect the judges to get wrong against ginger? Because I have seen a couple of canelo’s fight where the judges got it wrong.
Canelo is still good enough for fighters like Munguia or Berlanga, but he is showing his age and the wear and tear in every recent fight. I think Benavidez could be too much for him at this point in his illustrious boxing career.
Canelo is still a top 5 pound for pound guy! Munguia had moments, but Canelo is just so relaxed and ready that he nullified them fairly quickly. The shot that put Jaime down was beautiful! Even on replay, it was hard to believe how it got through.
The biggest difference between these two is how tight Canelo’s Defense is and how straight his punches are. Munguia definitely looks more complete under Roach, but he leans in and throws more looping shots. He needs to be straighter in every aspect and keep developing that jab. That don’t need to fight a rematch, but if they did I think Munguia could make it much closer.
Good fight! Munguia looked huge compared to canelo! He must have been 20 pounds over at least but, canelo did the job! Anyways, canelo gets to choose who he fights next and the money he wants! He is more of a businessman than a fighter So, business is business and he’s playing smart just as mayweather did! Hopefully, his exellency and all those saudi princes and royals get togheter and agree pay canelo the 150-200 millions that he wants in order to fight the heavyweight benavidez. No money no fight! Benavidez is a high risk cause if munguia looked huge then, benavidez will be even way bigger so, taking a 200 million risk fight is worth every penny! As per munguia, he’s still young and will bounce back soon! Munguia should take an easy rebound fight against berlanga to regain his comfidence! Or if the benavidez fight doesn’t happen, canelo can just choose a very minimal risk taking on berlanga in september as a warm up fight till a big money fight shows up! Haters will always hate but, at the end Canelos bank account just gets bigger regardless of who he fights!
Bring on Canelo vs Benavidez next if he can get back to 168 if not may Mbill
No way that this fight is happening now. Benavides is leagues above Munguía in every aspect, plus he’s a naturally bigger man than both with a longer reach. Those shots Canelo was taking from Munguía were bothersome for about 2 steps then he was in the clear. That won’t happen with Benavides, especially after the 7th round. We can forget about the matchup.
Canelo fought a cruiserweight tonight and schooled him plain and simple and it looked like he did carry him a but regardless Canelo is still P4P there is NO other champion fighting fighters like Canelo absolutely none everybody else ducking dont want to hear about these smaller guys fighting Canelo when they duck their mandatories because their afraid to take an L for less money
Amen. Nobody beats Canelo @ 168lbs.
Nobody!!!
Now that you know who is at 175, I think you’re right. There’s the Cuban guy Canelo won’t be lining up with either.
Morrell? He’s only fought Uber drivers from Angola. Stop it. He’s another Berlanga. They both suck!
Morrell does not deserve an opportunity to fight Canelo, He has to earn it. Plus the average fan don’t know him so there is NO incentive for Canelo to give him a chance.
Nobody heard of yildrim either, but he fought him? No one heard of Lara which he lost. Morrell would at least make a fight out of it. Man, you love riding caneloyellows jock.
De La Hoya not happy. Word has it He was seen wearing a dress, high heals and a wig trying to hide from Munguia so he wouldn’t have to pay him.
Good fight, hopefully Canelita has the balls to fight Benavidez next…
Arturo. He fought one cruiserweight tonight, taking on another won’t take any more balls. You know what takes balls? Being a keyboard warrior and calling a legend of the game by a ridiculous nickname. That’s big balls. Congratulations for being tool of the site for 3 years running.
Arturo is a bitter man. He hates Canelo. One of the best fighters P4P in the last 10 years. Damn right he’s a LEGEND.
Where is Carlo and his big yapper?
I knew that Munguia just didn’t have enough to beat Canelo. His only positive is that he lasted the distance. De La Hoya loses again. Kudos to Canelo.
De La Hoya said tonight’s fight was going to be a “changing of the guard” and that after this fight and the Garcia-Haney fight, he will have “two fighters who are the face of boxing”. He’s a big loser tonight.
The fight was decided in the 4th round, with Munguia going to the canvas for the 1st time in his career.
The fight changed momentum after the knockdown of Jaime in the 4th round.
Done with the excuse. James Toney always said he would fight anyone anytime. You bring up Benevidez to Canelo, he wants to dance around the issue. Not sure why he is so reluctant…. actually he is not confident. To beat Benevidez, and he can, he will have to fight through the whirlwind. Not sure if he can sustain the pace. Benavidez has a better more educated jab than Mungia to set up his shots. More intelligent, more power, and knows how to control range better. I just don’t see Canelo having the engine to win. Mungia was tough, but his lack of IQ hampered his chances
You make some good points bro but, Benavidez looks awesome against people who are not Canelo. Canelo isn’t going to just let him do his thing all night. Can Benavidez handle the hard counters that will definitely be coming back from Canelo? I really hope this fight happens.
Canelo got schooled by Bivol… Canelo fought a little kid tonight; shame on him…fight Benavidez or Bivol next who are truly your size in every respect…
And if he fights and beats Benavidez people will still say he is ducking xyz. Canelo has nothing to prove anymore.
Huge IF. Too bad we will never know. Canelo will not be taking that risk after this performance. Yes, he won, but the holes are getting bigger now.
that little kid was a cruiserweight and is older than weight bully Benavidez speaking of which before you start crying they will have to fight at 168 now the question is can Benavidez make that weight without crying he was drained be a man like Spence take the L and make NO excuses
Another PPV card with ESPN quality fights.
Marc… understand your opinion,..initially started that way but the Barrios fight was interesting…good fight…impressed with Barrios opponent….gave Barrios…a good technical boxer fits….the main fight…in my humble opinion….the star spangled banner alone by that trio was worth my money….that was some dynamic stuff!!!! Guys must see….the production video of Canelo before Canelo entry was excellent…not corney…BUT WE ARE HERE FOR THE FIGHT!!!!AND THE FIGHT DID NOT DISAPPOINT……could there have been better fights on the undercard….yes…but worth the value for the aforementioned…..
With sales tax this PPV card was almost $100 . I just couldn’t justify it when the Crawford-Spence and Fundora-Tszyu cards, both of which had way better undercards, cost less. I also know this wasn’t just another fighter fighting, that Canelo is an A-list superstar and there’s a premium for that. But not $100…not for fighting Munguia with no other anticipated matchup on the undercard. If it were Benavidez as the opponent, totally different story as I’d pay for that matchup without an issue. But until enough folks refuse to pay through the nose for a so-so main event and an underwhelming undercard, Golden Boy , PBC, DAZN, and all the rest will continue to jack the fans and even make it worse for us. Never thought I’d say it but I miss the days when Don King would have great PPV cards with mouth-watering world title fights. Sure, many of the decisions were crooked, just as they are now, but at least the cards were stacked. It’s bad when all these years later and I say I miss Don King.
Canelo is already a legend in boxing regardless of what the haters claim.
The result was expected.
Quality in this case came to beat quantity.
Munguia tried but it was not enough. There are things to improve in his style. If he and his team get it right, the future belongs to him.
The question is whether it is possible to teach old dogs to sit.
Otherwise, you can’t help being impressed by Canelo who still delivers. Over 60 victories against mostly tough and hard competition! Wow!
Hats off!
predictable outcome. canelo very tough, too experienced, and too strong. munguia too slow, not good enough defense
Good fight
Canelo too good
Canelo getting old
Thank you Munguía for give everything in the ring
I agree Canelo won but I thought it was a lot closer then Munguia was given credit for. There was a round or two I felt he outhustled and it seemed neither the announcers or judges saw it as they made up their minds. Great fight to watch. I think maybe its me. I do not hate Canelo. I think boxing needs a star like him. I just think in rounds where there is not a lot of separation..the announcers and judges almost always give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my opinion.
Pete..agree with you…though…in my opinion…Canelo showcased his skill…Canelo does not have the legs anymore…to chase a fighter but Jamie engaged and moved when needed….Jamie came to win….Canelo displayed a very high boxing IQ….put Jamie down with an uppercut….really…. unexpected….
No doubt about it. Munguía did in fact do greater than the announcers gave him credit for. Watching the fight with the volume on and then off will give you two different experiences. Scores did not reflect the fight.
The fight played out as expected but I was not satisfied with the performance by either pugil, felt as if Munguia tired out fast but kept trying
Canelo respectfully did not go for the KO which I think would have made the crowd erupt and made the whole experience unforgettable
But respect to Canelo for showing mercy to the young kid
Canelo carried him and that might never be said or shared by Canelo himself
We as fans are the ones who will make those remarks
Canelo will get criticized but he can care less he is so used to the hate that he will handle all similar criticism and not let it dictate what he does cause at this point he is at the point of making the most possible money and retire financially set
That is smart and good for him
Mungia fought well last night, and was a credit to himself. In the 1st 3 rounds, he was on the front foot, using the jab, and bringing the fight to canelo. Canelo’s guard is under-rated. He keeps both gloves in front of his face, with his chin down, and also keeps his elbows tucked in, so it’s hard to bring his hands down with body-shots. Mungia did everything correctly, but canelo’s defence was too good. Also, Mungia was punching *AT* canelo, instead of punching *THRU* him. I’ll have to watch the Bivol fight again to figure out how the hell Bivol broke thru canelo’s defence. Mungia is a good fighter, and will have learned from this experience.
How about this since morrell and benavidez are going up to 175. They should fight each other then winner fights Canelo at 175. Let’s be real Canelo has no real threat anymore at 168 and benavidez can barely make that weight now. He said in a interview last week he walks around at 185
Munguía made the same mistakes everyone was worried about: leaning forward after or mid combo. That cost him a know down and unnecessary shots. Canelo used his experience and counters to get through. The announcers were ridiculously d*ck riding at least for the first 5 rounds and I turned off the volume as Munguía had plenty of great moments but the announcers kept saying that they were blocked by Canelo.
Good strategy by Alvarez to let Munguía come at him as he spend less energy and kept enough for the end of the fight. I think he could have knocked Munguía out, but why take the chance.
I know styles make fights, but based on the holes now apparent in Canelo’s defense and how he can no longer fight 3 minutes of every round, I understand why he hasnt been interested in a Benavides fight. That would be too much of a hill to climb and David would mug him all over the ring. No way that fight is happening, especially now.
Peter the Gute….Canelo showed me something here in this fight…at this age….Canelo can fight very well on the inside….very efficient with his punches.,best timing on the inside…I have yet to see…that was dynamic… unexpected….. Benavidez will not be hard to find.,..not as defensively solid as Jamie showed last night… Benavidez showed against Plant and Andrade that Benavidez could be outboxed….unlike those fighters Canelo can sustain his boxing ability throughout the fight….If this fight were to happen soon….I have Canelo….
Canelo is King-Long live the King
Canelo beat up on an inexperienced kid in this fight; shame on him! He should fight someone who more on his level such as Bivol, who already beat Canelo, or Benavidez…
canelo still has it he beat the younger kid up manigua is a few years away from another championship fight
“Canelo defeats Munguia, still undisputed” Look at that title! The word undisputed means more than what Canelo is doing. Undisputed means nobody disputes you’re the best fighting the best. Benavidez at the least has been waiting as #1 for a long time and gets skipped. Morrell doesn’t get mentioned. So the tough fights for Canelo never happen. He prefers to fight the “John Ryders” and the old boxers.