Canelo Alvarez's ability to secure knockouts may still be in question despite his unanimous victory on Saturday night. However, he solidified his status as the undisputed super middleweight champion by showcasing superior strength and effectiveness in the ring.
Alvarez, with a record of 61-2-2, entered the fight as a favorite with -380 odds on BetMGM. Despite a slow start, he managed to dominate Jaime Munguia (43-1), handing him his first defeat.
The turning point came in the fourth round when Alvarez knocked down Munguia, seizing full control of the match. The crowd of 17,492, evenly split between the two fighters, witnessed Alvarez's dominance.
Judges Tim Cheatham, David Sutherland and Steve Weisfeld scored the fight 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 respectively, confirming Alvarez's victory and his continued reign as the super middleweight champion.
"When I retire, my numbers will dictate my position," Alvarez said. "I know there have been many great Mexican fighters in the past, but I am currently the best."
This is the second consecutive time that Alvarez has left no doubt about who the better fighter is, showing why, even at 33, he remains one of the sport's all-time greats. Alvarez also dominated Jermell Charlo in September to win by even wider margins.
These two fights followed two victories and a loss that was anything but impressive. While Alvarez showed he is still the class of his division, he has not scored a knockout since defeating Caleb Plant in 2021, a span of five matches.
Alvarez was circumspect about his next move, stating he will return to the ring "if the money is right."
"I have fought everyone, and I can do as I please," he said.
The lead-up to the bout was unusually civil, with both fighters expressing pride in representing Mexico on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
"This win means a lot," Alvarez said. "I am glad I gave him this opportunity. Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He will have a great career. I am very proud that all the Mexicans are here watching us."
Alvarez reserved his harshest criticism during the week not for his opponent, but for Munguia's promoter. Oscar De La Hoya used to be in Alvarez's corner, but they are clearly on opposite sides now and nearly came to blows Wednesday at the news conference after trading allegations.
The 27-year-old Munguia was the more aggressive boxer in the first three rounds, even cornering Alvarez in the ropes in the third. However, Alvarez showed in the fourth that he was not going anywhere, using a left and then a right to the face to send Munguia to the canvas with 38 seconds left, changing the tenor of the fight.
Alvarez then proceeded to sting Munguia over the next four rounds with shots to the face. Munguia put together his own flurries, but they did little noticeable damage to Alvarez.
That changed in the ninth round when Munguia landed some blows to the face that sent Alvarez backward, even into the corner at one point. But Alvarez responded with his own combinations, including coming out of the corner, in the fight's most action-packed round.
The 10th and 11th rounds were close, but the same trends followed, with Alvarez delivering the harder shots.
Munguia came out in the final round as if he knew he was trailing on the judges' cards, but did little to change the outcome. It was Alvarez who again came through with the best blows, using a combination with about a minute left to Munguia's head and following with several more shots to end the fight.
"I came out strong and was winning the early rounds," Munguia said. "I let my hands go, but he’s a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it’s my first loss, and I felt strong."
In the other main-card fights:
- San Antonio's Mario Barrios (29-2) successfully defended his WBC interim world welterweight title by defeating Argentinian Fabian Maidana (22-3) by unanimous decision in the co-main event. Each judge scored the bout 116-111.
Barrios prevailed despite fighting with his right eye nearly completely closed.
"Maidana fought hard for 12 rounds like I expected," Barrios said. "Once my eye started swelling up, it was hard to find my range. But we stuck to the fundamentals, tried to find openings and came out with the victory."
- WBC interim world featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) of Weslaco, Texas, knocked out Jessie Magdaleno (29-3) of Las Vegas with a left uppercut to his kidney with one second left in the ninth round.
- Lithuania's Eimantas Stanionis (15-0) easily retained his WBA welterweight title by claiming a unanimous decision over Venezuelan Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1) with scores of 117-111, 118-110 and 119-109.
