MUNGUIA vs SMITH
The seasoned Smith is ready to test whether Munguia is really as good as many people believe, writes Paul Wheeler
The current ruler faces the former king as Mexico and Britain collide in Vegas
SADAM ALI had not been expecting to defend his world title against Jaime Munguia back in May. The then-wbo super-welterweight ruler, who was coming off a career-best victory over future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, had been scheduled to take on his mandatory challenger and former holder of the belt, Liam Smith. However, when a skin condition forced Smith to withdraw from the fight at the end of April, the undefeated but untested Munguia was drafted in as a late replacement. How Ali must now wish the WBO had selected another contender instead.
Looking almost like a lean lightheavyweight taking on a pumped-up welterweight, the tall, physically imposing Munguia tore into Ali with thunderous power-punches from the outset. The champion was decked four times in total, before the referee stopped the shellacking in the fourth round to confirm the 21-year-old Mexican as the new WBO king, leading various observers to label him as his country’s next big thing.
As well as taking the WBO crown from Ali, the 29-0 (25) Munguia also inherited Smith, 26-1-1 (14), as his mandatory. It is against the Liverpudlian that he will make the first defence of his strap this Saturday ( July 21), live on BT Sport 1 (UK) and HBO (US). The joint effort between Golden Boy Promotions, Queensberry Promotions and Don King Productions will be staged at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which is a venue Smith is thrilled to be performing at. “To go to Vegas and fight for a world title is every fighter’s dream,” said the 29-year-old, “but it’s only an extra incentive to my main motivation – getting that WBO super-welterweight title back around my waist. Munguia is obviously a dangerous puncher, and I’ll have to be wary of him early on, but he’s never fought someone as good as me. I can’t afford to look an inch past him, though. He’s world champion for a reason, and with such a high knockout percentage [86 per cent], I’m going to have to be at my best ever. But unfortunately for Munguia, that’s what I’ll be.” Standing at 5ft 9 1/2ins, Smith does not have the height or physical magnitude of his six-foot opponent, but
he is by no means a small 154-pounder. In fact, the strong Scouser is often able to bully his rivals in the ring. This time, however, he is up against a man who is strikingly big at the weight.
It is incredible to think that Munguia – even though he turned pro at the tender age of 16 – was ever able to boil down to welterweight and even super-lightweight, as he did earlier in his career. As recently as April last year he competed at just over the welter limit, but has since simply grown out of the division. Such is his size, he won’t be sticking around at 154lbs for much longer, either.
Smith has had some struggles himself with weight-making in the past, most notably when he came in above the super-welter ceiling ahead of his meeting with the then-unbeaten Liam Williams in April 2017. The contest still went ahead, with Smith battling back from a slow start to contentiously triumph via ninth-round retirement after Williams suffered a gruesome cut. In a highly anticipated rematch seven months later, Smith smartly manoeuvred his way to a majority points win.
This weekend won’t be the first time Smith has opposed a strapping superwelterweight. In October 2015, “Beefy” stopped the 6ft 1in John Thompson in seven to claim vacant WBO honours. Just under a year later, the Englishman lost his belt to sturdy superstar Canelo Alvarez, who KO’D him with a brutal body shot in the ninth.
With four world title bouts on his ledger, Smith boasts greater high-level experience than Munguia. An intelligent boxer and well-schooled all-rounder, the Joe Gallagher pupil is capable of operating on the back foot, yet he prefers to march forward on the offensive, although in a cerebral and patient fashion. Tough, well conditioned and generally solid defensively with his tight guard, Smith uses clever footwork to locate openings, before launching left hooks downstairs and rights down the pipe. The question is, though, will he be able to hold the marauding Munguia off?
Coached by Robert Alcazar, who has been refining his raw potential by working on jabbing and technique, the athletic Munguia is a demon trainer with an impressive engine and solid chin. The powerful and aggressive Tijuanan cuts off the ring well, moving into position to unload long, thudding hooks and uppercuts.
There will be times when Smith will befuddle and negate Munguia with his astute boxing, but the champion’s size, strength, vigour, freshness and power will ultimately see him overwhelm the challenger, resulting in a stoppage victory sometime in the second half. In a clash of undefeated southpaws on the undercard, Puerto Rico’s Alberto
Machado, 19-0 (16), puts his WBA secondary super-featherweight bauble on the line for the first time against Ghanaian Rafael Mensah, 31-0 (23). Despite having not faced any noteworthy adversaries, Mensah has somehow found himself ranked at No. 1 on the WBA’S list of contenders. The Accra man possesses a decent dig, but Machado is a heavier hitter. The San Juan resident can be tagged himself, yet it is difficult to envisage him being caught out by Mensah. The pick is for Machado to win inside the distance.
THE VERDICT Did the destructive victory over the significantly smaller Ali flatter Munguia, or is he the real deal? It is time to find out.
‘I’LL BE WARY OF HIM, BUT HE’S NEVER FOUGHT SOMEONE AS GOOD AS ME’