Canelo Alvarez has finally found an opponent for May 4th: fellow Mexican super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia. T-Mobile Arena will stage this title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will see Alvarez compete in his 65th fight as he aims to defend all his 168 lbs titles against one of the top contenders in the division. The match will also be held during the Cinco de Mayo weekend, further magnifying the significance of an undisputed title bout that is set to feature two prominent and elite Mexican fighters going head-to-head.
Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KO’s) will undoubtedly still face criticism for refusing to face WBC interim 168 lbs champion David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO’s) who won the mandatory challenger position on at least two occasions when he defeated former world champions Caleb Plant (22-2, 13 KO’s) and Demetrius Andrade (32-1, 19 KO’s) last year. However, despite Benavidez’ most recent performances performances and status as the best contender available in the division, the American 168-pounder has been blatantly sidestepped as Alvarez prepares to defend all his super middleweight titles against fellow countryman Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KO’s).
Previously, Alvarez had asserted that he would be facing an American opponent during a live appearance on Mexican television network TV Azteca, however, a subsequent fallout with PBC followed not long after with Alvarez eventually splitting ties with the American-based company at some point in February. ESPN recently confirmed this upcoming bout will concern a one-fight deal with PBC, rather than the original three-fight deal Alvarez signed last year, verifying the rumors of the split that occurred between the two parties last month.
The fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia will be the first match in which Alvarez will be fighting under the PBC banner as it will be featured on Amazon Prime as a pay-per-view, but some eyebrows have been raised as DAZN has also been confirmed to be broadcasting the fight on their own platform.
Interestingly, while the fight will be featured on Amazon Prime as a pay-per-view event, it additionally will be available to be streamed on DAZN for subscribers without a PPV option. This move by both companies to share the broadcasting rights for their fight will mark one of the rare few times DAZN and PBC have collaborated together, and will be the first collaboration effort between them this year.
Though ESPN reported Alvarez had been in talks with DAZN for a lengthier contract following his now-confirmed split from PBC, having worked with them previously from 2018 to 2023, the talks apparently stalled at some point which resulted in Alvarez opting to return to PBC for a one-fight deal.
DAZN’s part in broadcasting the fight might have been due to the fact Jaime Munguia is signed to Zanfer Promotions who have a co-promotional deal in place with Golden Boy Promotions who broadcast their fights exclusively on DAZN. However, Golden Boy will presumably play no role in this fight, with Zanfer highly likely having managed to strike a partnership with both DAZN and PBC for this title fight between Munguia and Alvarez.
PBC associate TGB Promotions will be considered the main promoter of this bout, allegedly acting as a proxy for PBC who is not allowed to officially promote fights themselves due to being officially regarded as a management company [management companies/managers are not allowed to promote and vice-versa, according to the Muhammad Ali Act]. Additionally, Canelo Alvarez himself will be playing a role in co-promoting the fight through his own promotional outfit of Canelo Promotions.
While #1 contender David Benavidez is still acknowledged as the best contender, Jaime Munguia will serve as a suitable alternative given his own credentials as a former world champion and his Mexican heritage which will be of significance as he faces a fellow Mexican in Canelo Alvarez during the Cinco de Mayo weekend; a weekend celebrated yearly by those of Mexican descent.
More significantly, both Alvarez and Munguia are currently two of the most recognized Mexican boxers in the sport, allowing Alvarez a bit of reprieve from the expectations of facing David Benavidez. However, despite Benavidez reportedly attempting to stay busy against former light-heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KO’s) by fighting at 175 lbs for the WBC interim light-heavyweight title, a future fight between Alvarez and Benavidez has not yet been discounted.
However, in order for the highly-anticipated bout between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez to occur, Alvarez will still need to make it past a younger top contender in Jaime Munguia whose own accomplished pedigree suggests there is a chance for him to come out on top. Given the fight is set to take place on May 4th, the two Mexicans’ battle at the T-Mobile arena does present some intrigue as Alvarez aims to defend both his titles and his status as one of Mexico’s greatest boxers against a fellow countryman who will be aiming to topple Alvarez, and take his place as the greatest fighter hailing from Mexico in the modern era.
