Munguia vs. Ryder Preview
The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona will host a high-stakes super middleweight fight on Saturday, January 25. Former WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia will battle former interim WBO super middleweight champion John Ryder.
Munguia (42-0, 33 KO) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in June. The win was what Munguia needed to convince the boxing world that he is once again a real threat, still at the young age of 27.
While Munguia defended the WBO junior middleweight title five times before moving up to middleweight, his competition was criticized, and his performances were questionable. In moments he proved he could be an exciting fighter who could display a tremendous amount of heart. This was none more evident than what he showed against Derevyanchenko in June.
New trainer Freddie Roach has been impressed with Munguia from the start. “He’s better than what I thought, for sure,” Roach said. “He’s a more complete fighter and so forth. You know, the comments about what he does well and what he doesn’t do well really doesn’t match up with what he is.”
Roach continued, “From day one, he’s done a lotta work,” Roach said. “He’s fun to work with. We’ve worked on combinations, changing his style, being more in an attack motion and not a counterpuncher. And he’s doing very well. The first thing I hear about the guy is that he has very, very poor defense.”
Trainer Freddie Roach concluded by explaining what Munguia does best. “And then I said, ‘What are these people talking about? He’s got great offense, and that right there is a good defense.’ It’s not like he goes in there with his hands down and starts swinging with [his opponent]. He’s a good boxer and he has good footwork and his combinations are very, very good. I know that because sometimes he hits me on the chin.”
Munguia could make waves with a dominant win over a fighter who went the distance with Canelo Alvarez. Ryder has proven that he is still tough as ever so Munguia will have his hands full, but a victory could set him up nicely for a fight with Alvarez. The boxing world is thirsting for an all-Mexican battle at super middleweight, but Munguia has business first in Phoenix.
Ryder (32-6, 18 KO) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Alvarez in May for the undisputed super middleweight titles. While he was outmatched, he gained respect throughout the boxing world with his display of heart and will. Prior to the loss he had won four straight which included winning the interim WBO title and a split decision victory over former champion Daniel Jacobs.
Aside from being interim WBO champion, Ryder is also a former interim WBA super middleweight title holder but with the loss to Alvarez behind him, his biggest win could come on Saturday by playing the spoiler. The 35-year-old could see the big fights dwindle away with a loss to Munguia.
The British fighter knows what is at stake on Saturday. “I am sure that this fight can be a candidate for fight of the year for 2024,” said Ryder.
“He’s (Munguia has) got an unbelievable record, 42-0, and he’s got the carrot being dangled of the Canelo fight, like I had against Zach Parker. That adds pressure, you know that is potentially next, so you have to go out there and produce, so it’s down to him now. I’ve had my shot at Canelo, I doubt I’ll get another one if I beat Munguia, but that is the aim, to be in the biggest and best fights possible.”
Ryder continued by talking about what Munguia brings to the ring. “I think his record is not padded but he’s been well maneuvered, his last fight with Sergiy (Dereveyanchenko) he showed some vulnerabilities, he’s made a trainer change to Freddie Roach and that might be a good thing, it might not be, we’ll see. I know what he brings to the table, he throws a lot of shots, and he throws them with bad intentions, but that’s when I think I can capitalize on him.”
Ryder concluded by being optimistic after seeing Munguia’s last fight. “Sergiy gave him all the problems in the world last time,” Ryder has stated, “it came down to the last round and he put him over and the scorecards showed that. So, I hope the fight is judged fairly, I get a fair roll off the dice and that’s all I can ask for.”
The main card starts at 9 ET on DAZN.
