Regardless of all the extracurricular actions which have dominated combat week, the climate report for Saturday’s All-Mexico showdown in Las Vegas between Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia stays sunny with excessive chance of pleasure. 

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) will defend his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship in the primary occasion of a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view card (8 p.m. ET; simulcast on DAZN PPV) from T-Cellular Enviornment towards the hard-charging Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs). The Cinco de Mayo weekend conflict represents the primary time Alvarez will likely be preventing a fellow countryman since his 2017 beatdown of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 

Though Alvarez stays a 5-to-1 betting favourite resulting from his benefits in expertise and craft, the expectations stay excessive {that a} aggressive firefight is forward of us on condition that Munguia, the 27-year-old native of Tijuana who’s skilled by Corridor of Famer Freddie Roach, fights within the traditional, all-action Mexican type.

Each Alvarez and Munguia have been nothing however cordial and respectful of each other at each flip. The connection between Alvarez and his ex-promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy, who’s the co-promoter of Munguia, could not be any totally different, nonetheless. 

De La Hoya, who accused Alvarez of trying to get him banned from promotional occasions, severely altered the combat week narrative at Wednesday’s press convention by unleashing a pre-written rant geared toward his former fighter. Issues received so heated on the dais that the usually mild-mannered Alvarez wanted to be held again by safety from attacking De La Hoya after the 2 aired out the soiled laundry between them. 

Requested concerning the ongoing drama between his promoter and opponent on Thursday, all Munguia may do was snort. 

“Not my drawback,” Munguia informed CBS Sports activities. “I’m chill and simply very calm proper now. No matter occurred between them, it isn’t my problem in any respect. I used to be laughing.”

Alvarez, nonetheless, retained a way more critical demeanor when requested whether or not De La Hoya’s premeditated try at psychological warfare has change into a distraction in any respect. 

“I do respect each individual on the market however I all the time say that for each motion, there’s a response. I am a fighter and issues occur,” Alvarez informed CBS Sports activities. “From Oscar, you possibly can anticipate something like that. He simply throws shit [out] of his mouth. He do not know something about selling the fighter or caring about their fighter. 

“[Golden Boy] all the time leaves their fighters after they want him on the largest stage. He leaves his fighters and he do not care about them. The eye is [supposed] to be for Munguia however [De La Hoya] would not care. He simply desires consideration. However nothing surprises me from him.”

Though Munguia was all the time seen as a possible long-term Alvarez opponent, ever since he first arrived on the worldwide scene in 2019 by knocking out Sadam Ali to assert a 154-pound title at simply 21, it took till the final 12 months for him to actually earn the coveted alternative. 

Final June, Munguia survived a conflict with former title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko to win a detailed determination regardless of being harm a number of instances. However after Munguia’s long-time coach, Erik Morales, selected to depart his nook to chase his political aspirations in Tijuana, Munguia moved his camp to Los Angeles beneath the tutelage of Roach and the instant influence was felt of their first collaboration. 

Munguia steamrolled by way of robust contender John Ryder in January by dropping him 4 instances en path to a ninth-round TKO. Contemplating it was the identical Ryder who had gone 12 arduous rounds with Alvarez six months earlier, the end result was seen as a end result of Munguia’s maturity and evolution.

That is the rationale why Alvarez was prepared to interrupt his former stance of not eager to combat towards fellow Mexicans, although the general public’s urge for food appeared rather more into the thought of him preventing two-time champion David Benavidez.

“It is going to be a superb combat, for positive. With [Munguia’s] type, it should be nice. I do not know for what number of rounds, although,” Alvarez mentioned. “I’ve extra expertise, I’m stronger, I’ve extra expertise — a number of issues. I respect Jaime and I really feel proud about what we’re doing for the Mexican neighborhood. I really feel proud about it however we do not come right here to play. I come right here to do my job, which is successful.

“I believe he is a superb fighter, he throws a number of punches and is powerful. They’ve hit him earlier than and he dealt with it good, however Canelo is totally different and he will expertise one thing totally different on Saturday night time. I really feel higher than ever.”

After Alvarez, 33, made historical past by capturing all 4 168-pound titles in an 11-month span in 2021, he skilled an uncharacteristic dip in his subsequent three bouts. Alvarez, whose coaching was continually disrupted by a lingering hand problem, seemed considerably human in shedding to mild heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in 2022 earlier than ho-hum determination wins over Gennadiy Golovkin (of their trilogy) and Ryder. 

To Alvarez’s credit score, simply as whispers began to floor that the wear and tear and tear of a 19-year professional profession was catching as much as him, did look resurgent final September when he dominated a reluctant Jermell Charlo over 12 rounds to re-establish himself as a pound-for-pound risk.  

Munguia is aware of he’ll should be at his absolute best to upset his legendary opponent however has proven no scarcity of confidence that he is the proper man for the job. 

“[Alvarez] is a really skilled, a really full fighter,” Munguia mentioned. “I am unable to be distracted for even a second contained in the ring. I’ve to be on my edge and sharp however, in the long run, I do know that I’ve to win and I do know that I can win. So long as I’m good and I’m sharp in there, all the pieces goes to be superb.

“I’ve loads of aces up my sleeve. There are various issues I can do contained in the ring that you have not seen but and I’ll make use of them on Saturday and never even Canelo is conscious of them but.”

The largest combat of word options the return of Mario Barrios as he appears to defend his WBC interim welterweight title towards Fabian Maidana. Barrios, 28, bounced again from the one two defeats of his professional profession in a giant manner in 2023 when he beat Jovanie Santiago earlier than getting a shot at Yordenis Ugas for the interim crown. Barrios shocked many by battering Ugas across the ring and almost ending the previous titleholder. Maidana, in the meantime, holds a 22-2 report towards principally unknown competitors.

“I do know going into this combat that Maidana is coming in together with his again towards the wall,” Barrios mentioned in an interview with BoxingScene. “He has nothing to lose and all the pieces to realize. He desires what’s mine and that is my title, and for that cause it should be a really arduous combat.

“I do not assume so [in regard to if the fight is being overlooked], everybody is aware of Maidana goes to carry it. I am not wanting previous him. I do know that. I have been coaching arduous day by day, sparring the very best fighters in Vegas. I am able to go and I do know he’s. To be trustworthy, this may be the combat of the night time.”

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the chances on every principal card combat earlier than attending to a prediction and professional decide on the primary occasion beneath.

Struggle card, odds

Canelo Alvarez (c) -500	Jaime Munguia +350	Undisputed tremendous middleweight title
Mario Barrios (c) -1100	Fabian Maidana +650	WBC interim welterweight title
Brandon Figueroa (c) -1400	Jessie Magdaleno +700	WBC interim featherweight title
Eimantas Stanionis (c) -1400	Gabriel Maestre +700	WBA “common” welterweight title

Viewing info

• Date: Might 4
• Location: T-Cellular Enviornment — Las Vegas
• Begin time: 8 p.m. ET
• How one can watch: PBC on Prime Video PPV, DAZN PPV & PPV.com | Value: $89.99

Prediction

Whereas the connection with Roach appeared to take Munguia’s sport to a complete new degree final trip, it is arduous to argue with Alvarez’s stance that preventing him is simply totally different. So many have entered the ring towards him with massive plans solely to be disciplined out of their offensive sport plan early by Alvarez’s energy and pinpoint marksmanship as an elite counterpuncher. 

Add in the truth that Alvarez has by no means been down as an expert and has solely been badly harm (on a visible degree) only one time towards Jose Miguel Cotto again in 2010 and one can see the uphill battle Munguia has in entrance of him regardless of being the larger of the 2. 

Munguia will should be throughout Alvarez from the bounce by getting inside and trying to spam and nook his opponent with relentless pursuit. He has proven a willingness to endure massive punishment up to now and tends to stay harmful even whereas harm. However exercise stays his best risk of survival. 

As soon as Alvarez is ready to decelerate the tempo of a combat by turning it right into a sharpshooting chess match, the tip is usually close to for his opponent. Munguia might want to act like the larger fighter and attempt to use his measurement to lean on and put on out Alvarez ought to he hope to get the nod from the identical Las Vegas judges who’ve traditionally favored the excessive effectivity of Alvarez’s cleaner and tougher single photographs. 

Munguia’s whole profession has culminated on this second and the expectation stays that he will likely be prepared to threat knockout defeat in an effort to give himself the very best shot at pulling the upset. However the truth that he leaves himself so open to be cleanly countered merely is not sustainable towards a boxer of Alvarez’s ability. 

Whether or not or not Alvarez can end the job with a spectacular end seemingly relies upon upon how a lot punishment Munguia can take. 

Choose: Alvarez through UD12 

Who wins Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia, and which prop is a must-back? Go to SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s finest bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a revenue of greater than $4,000, and discover out.