BUILT TO LAST
Munguia nds Inoue a tough nut to crack, writes Sean Nam
BEFOREHAND, many may have predicted a quick, one-sided drubbing in favour of
Jaime Munguia, the hulking, baby-faced power-puncher and current WBO superwelterweight title-holder who has been tabbed to be the next Mexican superstar. However, the tussle that took place at the Toyota Center (Golden Boy Promotions) was anything but. His opponent, Takeshi
Inoue – the largely unknown challenger from Tokyo, Japan, who may as well have been snatched up at a Shibuya crosswalk during rush hour – made sure of that, though you would never know that by glancing at the scorecards.
Javier Martinez and Cesar Ramos (120108) both awarded Munguia every round, while Levi Martinez (119-109) was a bit more charitable to Inoue. Boxing News scored it 117-111 for Munguia. Mark Calo-oy refereed.
While there was no doubt as to the winner on this night, you would have to be a greater cynic than Diogenes himself to not be impressed by Inoue’s bullheaded tenacity. Sporting a granite chin and a tireless motor, the shorter Inoue consistently, if clumsily, backed up his bigger adversary along the ropes throughout the fight. Whenever Inoue managed to plough through a volley of punches, he would plant his head somewhere on Munguia’s wide torso and blindly uncork overhand rights that, however primitive, would occasionally find their mark.
Indeed, in the closing moments of an electric eighth round, Munguia found himself being assailed with clean shots to the head. This was not quite a rendition of David and Goliath, but to see a smaller man step toward the bigger man all night was a marvellous display of visual dissonance and bravado. It was a reminder, no less, of why a deficit in skill is not always the end-all in boxing.
But as uncomfortable as Munguia may have been trying to handle Inoue on the inside, the Tijuanan generally made Inoue pay for his recklessness. Bouncing around the ring, Munguia repeatedly fired off powerful combinations and took advantage of Inoue’s stationary high guard by tagging his midsection with knifing lefts, much to the delight of the reported 7,408 pro-mexican attendance. According to Compubox, Munguia landed 311 of 988 punches against Inoue’s 134 of 542.
It was a wonder how Inoue managed to soak up such clubbing blows without so much as a shudder, as Munguia would point out after the fight. “I was surprised by his ability to take punches,” said Munguia. “He took punches that would have dropped anyone else.”
Yet for all of his physical attributes, Munguia, 22, is still something of a diamond in the rough. Rumour has it that he is not long for 154lbs, but Munguia will need to shore up his holes in defence and learn how to utilise a stiff jab before he even thinks of sharing a ring with middleweight elites like Demetrius Andrade, who called out Munguia, and countryman Canelo Alvarez.
Not to be outdone, rugged warrior Jesus M. Rojas and boyish upstart Can Xu turned in a highly entertaining and closely contested featherweight scrap, even if the judges’ tallies – 116112 (Alfredo Polanco), 117-111 (Gloria Martinez) and 118-110 (Ignacio Robles), all for Xu – reeked of the usual degree of corruption-cum-incompetence from the Texas athletic commission. Defence, while far from an afterthought, was not exactly a priority for either man.
For the most part, Rojas (Caguas, Puerto Rico) trudged forward all fight like a slow-rolling stone, barreling his way into Xu’s chest, where he would unleash bludgeoning lefts and rights to the ribcage and head-popping uppercuts. Xu (Kunming, China), comfortable fighting off the back foot, preferred to pitch his punches at range, retaliating with rapid, eye-catching combinations. Refreshingly, neither fighter sought to clinch, which allowed referee Rafael Ramos to play the part of a true bystander.
With the win, Xu acquired Rojas’ WBA bauble, though it is unlikely, given network alliances, that he will be in line to face Leo Santa Cruz, the true champion, anytime soon. The future, nevertheless, looks bright for the 24-year-old Xu. Not since Zou Shiming, China’s most beloved prizefighter, has a Chinese boxer earned such a significant victory. Asked where he got his power from after the fight, Xu was ecstatic. “It’s from China,” he exclaimed. “I am Chinese – for the country!”
THE VERDICT Munguia wins again, but leaves room for improvement.