‘Canelo’ remains one of the few boxers today capable of attracting large crowds, but his career is in need of a big victory after he has not achieved a knockout in his last four appearances in the ring.
For the first time since 2017, the undisputed super middleweight champion will face a rival from his country, in an event framed in the Mexican festivities of May 5 and in which this time he will be accompanied on his way to the ring by the singer Luis R. Conriquez.
“I’m in my best shape ever. I’m going to give everything. My effort, my talent. I hope all of Mexico enjoys this fight because it’s for them,” ‘Canelo’ cried in Toshiba Plaza, where for once he had to share supports with his opponent.
“I’m very excited, it’s a great opportunity. I’m going to make the most of it and tomorrow I’m going to be world champion,” predicted Munguía, a fighter with a powerful punch who counts his 43 fights as victories (34 of them by knockout).
The boxer from Tijuana (northwest), six years younger and ten centimeters taller than ‘Canelo’, also celebrated that Mexico “is going to vibrate with this great fight.”
Canelo vs. Munguia
- Date: Saturday, May 4
- Television: ESPN and Star +
- Hours: from 7:00 pm (Colombian time)
Under the intense midday heat, fans with t-shirts and posters of both boxers took turns shouting encouragement.
“Munguía is coming very strong, hungry to win,” say Álvaro González and Evelyn Hidalgo, two young lawyers who traveled from the Tijuana border to support their local figure.
The couple disagrees, however, when it comes to predicting what will happen in the T-Mobile Arena ring (about 20,000 seats).
Hidalgo sees Munguía as the winner while González is betting on a victory so close for ‘Canelo’ that he demands a rematch and turns this duel into a new Mexican boxing classic.
“It’s been many years since two Mexicans of such a high level have fought and this is what people want,” recalls Luis Solís, a construction worker in Riverside (California), who wears an Álvarez t-shirt and sneakers.
“Canelo’ is going to have a difficult time. Munguía is going to put up a good fight, he’s not just coming for the check, but it’s not going to be enough for him,” he considers. “Canelo is still the superstar of Mexican boxing.”
For José Bermúdez, a fan from Mexico City, the public will have “a divided heart” this time, since support for Álvarez has been reducing “because he is already very grown.”
‘Canelo’, Bermúdez considers, “believes himself to be above Mike Tyson or Oscar de la Hoya”, the former promoter whom Álvarez insulted and accused of being a thief in the pre-fight press conference.
