Since Floyd Mayweather’s Jr.’s retirement in 2015, unified middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has taken over as the main attraction for Mexican Independence weekend, filling out arenas and drawing millions of views from hardcore to the casual fans.
With Alvarez fixating on a fight with light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev but failing to come to a purse agreement in time to avoid being stripped of the IBF world title for not negotiating a defense with the other “Sergiy,” Derevyanchenko, the significant September date was flushed down the gutter with no fight announcement from the face of boxing. As we say it in Mexico, nos dejo vestidos y alborotados. (Until November that is!)
In hopes to salvage Mexican Independence weekend; another Mexican champion, Jaime Munguia, will make his fifth title defense against Ghana’s Patrick Allotey (pronounced by me as “elote”) this Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.
Hogan Photos
The bout set to stream via DAZN was supposed to include Instagram famous Golden Boy prospect Ryan “The Flash” Garcia against Philly native Avery Sparrow in a 10-round lightweight contest, but Sparrow was a “no-show” earlier today at the official weigh-in.
🇲🇽🏆 Tijuana's own @jaimemunguia15 looks to defend his WBO Super Welterweight title for the fifth time! Celebrate Mexican independence weekend tomorrow night! 🎉 @dignityhealthsp 🥊 #MunguiaAllotey Watch all the action Live on @DAZN_USA pic.twitter.com/1m9tpAN4xW — Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) September 13, 2019
Does anyone else find it weird that the minute Canelo announces his Nov. 2 date in Vegas, Garcia is suddenly left without an opponent? Maybe I’m putting on my tin foil hat on right now, but it’s a bit suspicious. Okay, okay. I might be reaching.
Though not as big of a star as Alvarez, Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) appeared in the boxing radar making 2018 his bitch by becoming WBO junior middleweight champion of the world via brutal knockout over “World Kid” Sadam Ali and scoring two impressive victories over Liam “Beefy” Smith and Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook to comfortably retain his title. This year, however, Munguia’s shown some vulnerability in his defense that has the fans calling him “too green” to be a legitimate threat to any other champion in the division.
In his last title defense, Irish contender Dennis “Hurricane” Hogan gave Munguia a run for his money, losing a majority decision to the Tijuanense. Though he walked out of the ring still a champion, Munguia received heavy criticism from both boxing fans and analyst who all had Hogan winning the bout. But hey, the fight was in Monterrey, Mexico and tainting his undefeated record would cost the young Mexican champion a shot at Alvarez in the future.
At his media workout at Azteca Boxing Club this past Wednesday, Munguia told the media this fight would be his last at junior middleweight and he would be vacating his title to move up to the middleweight division. Mexican boxing legend Erik “Terrible” Morales has now taken Munguia under his wing to help him improve as a fighter for the tougher fights to come.
“My trainer, Erick Morales, gets more out of me,” Munguia told the press. “I’m training harder and running harder. I’m going to give the best and I hope I can deliver the best to the fans. As a Mexican, I’m representing my country and it’s a huge responsibility but I’m happy to be taking it on. Patrick Allotey is coming ready to fight me and of course, I want to win by knockout. I felt really good during training camp and I hope to give a spectacular show.”
Odds are, unless you’re familiar with the landscape of African boxing, you probably had never heard of Patrick Allotey. With 40 pro-fights under his belt, Allotey has earned the WBO Africa Super Welter title and now a shot for the world title in his second fight in the U.S.
Hogan Photos
When asked if he was intimidated fighting a Mexican fighter on a Mexican holiday, Allotey said it mostly motivates him more to put on a show.
“I don’t feel worried to be fighting in a card that is so important for Mexican boxing because when I’m fighting with a Mexican, I’m Mexican too,” Allotey said. “When the fans are shouting for my opponent, they are shouting to me too. I can’t define my style, because that is something that you decide at the ring. In boxing you don’t need style, you need to think. I’m a well-rounded fighter. I’m ready.”
Though 30 of Allotey’s victories come by knockout, he’s also previously been knocked out twice himself, making it a possibility for Munguia to showcase his power and deliver another tremendous knockout in his last fight before moving up to middleweight.
Now, with reports (SOURCES) of Sparrow getting arrested earlier today, Garcia is most likely to fight now under the Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard come Nov. 2. How convenient, right?
After making weight, Garcia took to the mic urging people to find his M.I.A opponent.
“He talked a lot and I don’t see him here. Somebody call him up. Let’s Fight!”
Now, as much as Ivan “Striker” Delgado against Romero “Ruthless” Duno is an intriguing matchup on this card, it would be ideal if Delgado would get paid step-aside money for a last-minute Garcia vs. Duno fight. However, I’m sure they want to save that for the November date should Duno (20-1, 15 KOs) take care of Delgado (13-2-2, 6 KOs).
Hogan Photos
Coming off a loss to Golden Boy’s Hector Tanajara early in the year, Delgado is looking to come back strong and make a statement against the hard-hitting Filipino.
“This is fight is gonna be hard for me,” said Duno. “Ivan Delgado is a stylist too. He’s a good boxer and he wants to win this fight too.”
At the media workout, Duno approached Garcia as he was being interviewed in attempts to face off. Garcia, however, was dismissive but assured Duno they would fight each other next. Earlier last month, rumors across social media reported their fight had initially fallen off because Garcia wanted the fight to be main event and not a co-feature.
https://twitter.com/Lilyykinss/status/1171881084256014336?s=20
Women’s WBC Super Middleweight Champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn was originally scheduled to make her second title defense against undefeated Mexican contender Alejandra “La Tigre” Jimenez, but with that fight also falling off (for reason yet to be reported), there will be a rematch with Maricela Cornejo who lost the opportunity for the vacant title against Crews-Dezurn last September in Las Vegas.
“I feel like a kid at the candy store,” said Crews-Dezurn earlier today. I’m not coming to play, I’m coming to slay.”
🏆 @maricelaladiva looks for her revenge against @TheHHDiva as the WBC Super Middleweight World title is on the line 🔥 Tomorrow night! #MunguiaAllotey only on @DAZN_USA pic.twitter.com/ZutG1Fj75n — Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) September 13, 2019
Things got heated between the “Divas” at the weigh-ins with the champion pushing Cornejo back as they faced off. Cornejo (13-3, 5 KOs) is coming off a controversial victory over 40-year-old Erin Toughill who was coming off 12 years of inactivity, while Crews-Dezurn (5-1, 2 KOs) made her first successful title defense against Kayla Willians back in June.
Should this fight be anything like the first, Cornejo can be expected to have her head popped backwards like a bobblehead all night by the former Olympian who’s only defeat comes by unanimous decision to unified middleweight champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields.
In the undercards “El Huracan” of Oaxaca, Mex. Joselito Velazquez (10-0, 8 KOs) will take on southpaw Francisco Bonilla (6-6-3, 3 KOs) in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Undefeated middleweight prospect Diego Pachecho (5-0, 4 KOs) will take on his second-consecutive undefeated opponent against Terry Fernandez (3-0 3 KOs). Pacheco is coming off a knockout victory in Hermosillo, Sonora as part of the undercard for Juan Francisco Estrada against Dewayne Beamon just late last month.
Alejandro “Pin Pon” Reyes will also be making his lightweight debut, check out the interview below!
Doors open at 3:00 p.m. and the first bout is scheduled to start at 3:25 p.m.
Tickets for Munguia vs. Allotey are on sale and are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, https://www.axs.com/, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).
Comments