In 2018 when Canelo Alvarez was suspended for having a banned substance in his system and unable to fight Gennadiy Golovkin, Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler turned to a young knockout artist, Jaime Munguia, as a last-minute replacement for Alvarez.
The fight, though, never occurred. Bob Bennett, then the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commissioned, deemed Munguia too green and he turned down the fight. Instead, Golovkin wound up fighting, and blowing out, Vanes Martirosyan on May 5, 2018, in Carson, Calif. Golovkin butchered Martirosyan and scored a second-round KO.
It's nearly six years later and Munguia still hasn't stepped up to that level. Since being turned down for GGG, he's fought Sadam Ali, Liam Smith, Brandon Cook, Takeshi Inoue, Dennis Hogan, Patrick Allotey, Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan, Tureano Johnson, Kamil Szeremeta, Gabe Rosado, D'Mitrius Ballard, Jimmy Kelly, Gonzalo Gaston Coria, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
On Saturday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., he'll face veteran John Ryder.
Now, the Derevyanchenko fight was just honored as the 2023 Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, though Derevyanchenko was clearly well past his prime at the time they fought.
Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) competes in a division chock full of high-level talent, including Alvarez, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, David Morrell, Christian Mbilli and others. He's one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, as evidenced by his Fight of the Year performance and his 33 knockouts in 42 wins.
He's largely been protected, though, and in an era when we are finally getting the best to fight the best, it's time Munguia does his part.
He's switched trainers and is working with Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, a perfect move and the kind of teacher who can help Munguia elevate his game. Putting on a good performance against Ryder, who went the distance in a drubbing by Alvarez on May 6, would be a good start.
"I feel very good right now," Munguia said. "I feel very strong, and I feel like this has been one of the best training camps I have had. It has helped me very much to be here in Los Angeles with Freddie, and it has encouraged me to keep my eyes focused on the job at hand and I believe we are going to make it to fight week in excellent condition. I feel like the fans will get to enjoy one of my best performances yet."
Every fight is different and no one who truly knows boxing will look at the outcome on Saturday and say that Munguia is on Alvarez's level if he defeats Ryder impressively.
But he needs to do just that to remind the public that he's a high-level fighter.
The fact that he has seemingly been protected is puzzling. While one could understand Bennett's reticence in 2018 when he turned down the GGG fight, Munguia's performances have proven he should be fighting among the elite.
He has legitimate power and showing that versus Ryder, who has been in with Alvarez, Daniel Jacobs and Callum Smith, among others, would be a great start.
"I honestly feel like I can knock John Ryder out," Munguia said. "That's what we are working towards. Obviously, once you step inside the ring anything can change. But we're training to get inside the ring in optimal condition, and if we can't get the knockout we will be making sure we get the decision."
Ryder is a savvy veteran and while he doesn't have the elite physical skills of the top guys in his class, he knows how to fight and how to survive.
He insisted he's improved in the seven months since he's faced Alvarez and knows he'll need a good performance against Munguia to continue to get good paydays.
What better way to come back after the Canelo fight than with a headlining show in the United States against a top talent like Jaime Munguia?" Ryder said. "I'm a different fighter now from when I fought Canelo. I believe I learned a lot about myself. I wish I could have had that type of fight 10-years ago. You learn a lot about yourself, your desires and how deep the fire burns. But I am here now and the fire is still churning!"