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he enthusiastic and surprising support for Jaime Munguia was quickly extinguished on Saturday when Canelo Alvarez delivered a trademark combination—a left hook followed by a right uppercut—that sent Munguia to the canvas for the first knockdown of his 44-fight career. Alvarez, boxing's biggest star, built on the momentum from that fourth-round knockdown, securing the victory with his cleaner, sharper, and harder punches to retain his undisputed super middleweight championship. The fight took place on Cinco de Mayo weekend before 17,492 fans at T-Mobile Arena in an all-Mexican showdown. This marked Alvarez's fourth successful defense of his four 168-pound titles, with scores of 115-113, 117-110, and 116-111. ESPN scored it 118-109. This was the third consecutive fight in which Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) scored a knockdown, having also floored Jermell Charlo and John Ryder in previous decision wins. “I'm very proud that all the Mexicans are here watching us,“ said Alvarez, ESPN's No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer. “He's a great fighter. He's strong, he's smart... But he's a little slow. I can see every punch. Sometimes he got me because I get so confident... I did really good and I feel proud about it... I'm the best fighter right now for sure.“ Munguia, a former junior middleweight titleholder, was competing at the elite level of the sport for the first time and performed admirably. The 27-year-old from Tijuana showed passion and an improved jab under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. Munguia's pressure and aggression were effective in the first two rounds, but Alvarez eventually timed his opponent. “I take my time,“ Alvarez explained. “That's why I have a lot of experience... I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did.“ Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) won three rounds unanimously: the first, third, and ninth. While he boxed well, his punches never seemed to trouble Alvarez. Even when Munguia pinned Alvarez on the ropes and unloaded, Alvarez evaded most of the punches and countered with shots that backed Munguia up. The fourth-round knockdown proved decisive, and Munguia's legs never fully recovered. The experience gap was evident, with Alvarez, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, having faced top names throughout his career. “I came out strong and was winning the early rounds,“ Munguia said through an interpreter. “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. There's no doubt I would have beaten anyone else tonight... He's a fighter who creates a lot of problems.“ As the fight progressed, Alvarez continued to stun Munguia, using his aggression against him. Alvarez's elite counterpunching, more powerful punches, and evasion skills were too much for Munguia to overcome. However, this is not the end for Munguia. Alvarez, 33, credits his first career loss—a 2013 defeat to Floyd Mayweather—as the performance that helped build him into an all-time great. Munguia, ESPN's No. 4 super middleweight, entered the ring following his career-best victory, a ninth-round TKO of Ryder in January. His previous fight, a bout against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, was named ESPN's 2023 Fight of the Year. Alvarez hasn't finished a fighter inside the distance since defeating Caleb Plant in November 2021 to become the undisputed super middleweight champion. “I'm glad that I gave him this opportunity,“ said Alvarez, who closed as a minus-550 favorite on ESPN BET. “Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He's going to have a great career.“ Alvarez's attorney, Gregory M. Smith, stated that Alvarez “said what he said.“ Alvarez admitted he was more determined to win after the contentious exchanges, and while he didn't finish Munguia inside the distance, he won decisively. “I've always said [Canelo is] a good fighter in the ring, but this experience for Jaime will just take him to another level,“ De La Hoya said. “It's just like Mayweather and Canelo... Canelo got schooled and then he became the face of boxing.“ As Alvarez prepares for his expected return on Mexican Independence Day weekend in September, calls for a fight against David Benavidez will resurface. “If the money's right... I can fight [Benavidez] right now,“ Alvarez said. “I don't give a s---. It's only a matter of money at this point. Everybody is asking for everything. “When I fought [Erislandy] Lara, Austin Trout, Miguel Angel Cotto, [Floyd] Mayweather, Billy Joe Saunders, GGG, everybody said I don't want to fight them, and I fought all of them. So right now... I can do whatever I want.“ This was Alvarez's first fight against a fellow Mexican since defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in May 2017, and his seventh headline bout on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Canelo has won four consecutive fights since his decision loss to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 after moving up to 175 pounds.
