LAS VEGAS–The face of Mexican boxing has aged.
But it hasn’t changed.
It’s still Canelo, now bearded, yet still proud and stubborn That inexhaustible streak of stubborn pride was there, a force that withstood a younger man’s challenge throughout 12 rounds Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Canelo Alvarez won it, scoring a unanimous decision over fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia.
“It means a lot,’’ Canelo (61-2-2, 3 KOs) said moments after the 117-110, 116-111, 115-112 scores were announced. ‘’I like this guy a lot. He is gentleman.”
But, he went on to say: “I’m the best. I’m the best fighter right now.’’
He might get an argument from Terence Crawford or Naoya Inoue. David Benavidez, who was in the T-Mobile crowd, might want a chance to prove him wrong. But on this night, there was no argument, especially from the 27-year-old Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs).
In the fourth, Canelo began to exert control. The spring in Munguia’s opening step was gone. He dropped his left hand.
Canelo saw it and capitalized with predatory instinct. He landed a wicked uppercut, followed by a body shot. Suddenly, Munguia was down on the canvas, his eyes empty of an earlier confidence.
For the next couple of rounds, Canelo ruled, patiently and thoroughly. By then, Munguia knew there was still power in the older man’s hands. He was wary. He was smart.
He knew what he had seen in Canelo’s last several fights. He had studied the video. Munguia would wait until the seventh to re-assert himself in an effort to test the theory that Canelo tires in the second half of fights.
In the opening moments of the seventh, Munguia backed Canelo up and into his corner.
But Canelo didn’t stay there. He stepped forward and broke through Munguia’s up-raised gloves with punches accented by deadly power.
It was a pivotal moment, a sure sign that Canelo was there to go the distance. He stood his ground in the eighth, the ninth and the 10th. He took punches. Landed punches.
“I took my time,”
Canelo said. “I have a lot of experience. Munguia is a great fighter. He’s strong and smart. But I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good, and I’m proud of it.
“He’s strong, but he’s a little slow. I could see every punch. That’s why I’m the best.”
At times, it looked like a standoff. But Canelo went into the final two rounds with a key edge. He had that fourth-round knockdown in the bank and he would fight to protect it with experience, tactical knowhow and stamina not often seen in the super-middleweight champion over the last couple of years.
In the first round, Munguia’s length and quick hands seemed to surprise Canelo.
On young legs, Munguia moved side to side, again seemingly surprising Canelo with his athleticism.
In the second, a wary Canelo began to look for a way to slow down Munguia. He landed a couple of warning shots, first a body blow and then a quick combo.
But Munguia, looking like a tireless kid on the playgrounds, responded by bouncing on his toes and firing straight shots at a backpedaling Canelo.
“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.”
The announced crowd of more than 17,000 was divided. For some, the young Munguia has a working-class appeal no longer there in the wealthy, celebrated Canelo.
Munguia’s entrance was cheered by folks in cheaper seats in T-Mobile’s upper deck.
Then, there was Canelo, cheered by folks in expensive seats on the floor and in the lower bowl.
At opening bell, the arena was a clash of chants.
First, Munguia, Munguia.
Then, Canelo, Canelo.
In the end, there was only Canelo.
Still Canelo.
Marios Barrios wins unanimous decision
Mario Barrios, a junior-welterweight champion and an emerging welterweight, scored a knockdown, but not a knockout out of a name synonymous with resilience.
Fabian Maidana is not as well-known as his brother, Marcos Maidana.
But the name sticks around mostly because the brothers know how to. Marcos did it against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Fabian did it against a bigger, stronger Barrios in a. fight for an interim 147-pound title in the last boutt before the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia main event at T-Mobile Arena Saturday night.
Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs), of San Antonio, put Fabian (22-3, 16 KOs), of Argentina, on
to the canvas with a straight right hand in the second round. Then, it looked as if the end was near. But it was not. Fabian kept coming back, kept rocking Barrios’ head with piston-like pouches that started with an accurate jab. By the end of the 12-round bout, Barrios’ right eye was an ugly welt, swollen shut
Barrios had trouble seeing. But not winning. On the judges cards, it was unanimous, 116-111 on all three, for Barrios. He won, but not as easily as expected because of another Maidana
Figueroa knocks out Magdaleno
Jessie Magdaleno had no chance at winning the title. Turns out, he didn’t have much of a chance against Brandon Figueroa either.
Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs), who forfeited his eligibility for a World Boxing Council’s interim belt when he failed to make weight, was simply no match for the busier, stronger Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs), of Weslaco TX.
In the opening rounds of the featherweight bout on the Canelo-Munguia card, Magdaleno tried to smother Figueroa. Instead, he often smothered any potential excitement. In the fifth, however, Figueroa delivered a low blow, a painful uppercut. Magdaleno fell. He was on hands and knees. His face was flat on the canvas. He was in evident pain. Somehow, he recovered, but not enough to give him a shot at victory.
In the ninth, Figueroa finished him, first with a sweeping right hook and then body shot. At 2:59 of the round. referee Allen Huggins counted Magdaleno out.
Stanionis retains welterweight title
Eimantas Stanionis, cool and efficient throughout 12 rounds, controlled pace, distance and — in the end — the World Boxing Association’s welterweight title.
In only his first title defense, Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOS) fought with the authority of a longtime champion, leaving challenger Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) few opportunities in a one-sided display of patience and tactical skill.
Maestre, of Venezuela, was never off his feet. But he never had much of a chance either, losing a unanimous decision to the unbeaten Lithuanian on the Canelo-Munguia card.
Jesus Ramos back with a knockout
It was the right way to end a comeback.
Jesus Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs), a junior-middleweight prospect from Casa Grande AZ, punctuated his with a stoppage, a technical knockout of a tough Venezuelan, Johan Gonzalez (34-3, 33 KOs) Saturday on the card featuring Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Ramos, fighting for the first since his lone loss — a controversial decision to Erickson Lubin in September, began to take control of the fight in the fifth. He was moving forward, stubbornly forward, with powerful shots that drove Gonzalez into the ropes. In the sixth, however, a head butt left Ramos with a nasty cut over his left eye.
The bloody gash seemed to take away much of Ramos’ momentum. But he regained it with heavy-handed shots delivered from a crouch.. His hands were down.
But the power was deadly. In the ninth, it finished Gonzalez, first with a left-handed counter that put him on his back. Then there was a succession of blows, including a big right hand that knocked Gonzalez again. At 2:56 of the ninth, it was over, Ramos a TKO winner and and presumably on his way back to being a young fighter with championship potential
BELOW BOUTS BY MARC ABRAMS
World-ranked junior middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. hammered out a 10-round unanimous decision over Ronald Cruz.
At the end of round three, Mielnicki dropped Cruz with a left hook just as the bell sounded. Mielnicku dumped him again with the same punch just before round four concluded.
Mielnicki landed 187 of 605 punches. Cruz was 143 of 460.
Mielnicki, 153.6 lbs of Roseland, NJ won by scores of 99-89, 98-90 and 96-92 and is now 18-1. Cruz, 153.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 19-4-2.
Alan David Picasso remained undefeated by stopping former world title challenger Damien Vazquez in round five of their 10-round super bantamweight bout.
Picasso, 121 lbs of Mexico City is now 28-0-1 with 16 knockouts. Vazquez, 122.2 lbs of Las Vegas is 17-4-1.
William Scrull scored a knockdown en-route to an eight-round unanimous decision over Sean Hemphill in a super middleweight bout.
Scrull dropped Hemphill in round five in the fight which eventually led to scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 76-75.
Scrull, 167.2 lbs of Matanzas, CUB is now 22-0. Hemphill, 167.4 lbs of New Orleans is now 16-2.
Lawrence King won a six-round unanimous decision over Anthony Holloway in a light heavyweight contest.
King, 181.2 lbs of San Bernadino, CA won by scores of 59-55 on all cards and is now 16-1. Holloway, 177.4 lbs of Peoria, IL is 7-4-3.
Adrian Torres won a six-round unanimous decision over Arsen Poghosyan in a lightweight bout.
Torres, 136.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 8-0. Poghosyan, 126.2 lbs of Yerevan, ARM is 3-2-1.
Julian Bridges won a six-round unanimous decision over Jabin Chollet in a battle of undefeated super lightweights
Bridges, 138.4 lbs of Antioch, CA won by scores of 59-55 on all cards and is now 5-0. Chollet, 139.8 lbs of San Diego is 9-1.