Canelo Vs Munguia – Things We Learned From the Press Conference
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Jaime Munguia will clash in the main event of Cinco de Mayo weekend’s PBC pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Alvarez, as undisputed super middleweight champion, is widely expected to prevail, though the fight itself promises much excitement as either party could come out victorious on any given night.
At their first press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, both fighters met head to head for their initial bout. Beforehand there had been some cause for concern but both combatants put any doubts to rest during their press conference and appeared ready for battle – here are things we learned from it.
1. Munguia won’t have enough power to beat Canelo. Munguia tried hard early on and landed several hard punches that hurt Canelo, yet his superior hand speed and footwork allowed him to avoid Munguia’s shots and keep the challenger at bay.
Munguia began his last fight quickly before succumbing to Jermell Charlo’s aggressive assaults and being drawn in for an extended scrap. Although Munguia demonstrated good ring smarts during that battle, remaining unscathed for most of it, no meaningful adjustments could be made when facing an increased opponent in the championship round.
2. Munguia will need to improve his defense. In the early rounds, Munguia used his height and reach advantage to stalk Canelo with jabs delivered quickly in quick bursts, quickly moving his head after every shot thrown by Canelo. As soon as Munguia began tiring in later rounds his defensive frailties were exposed when Canelo scored with an uppercut flush with him that forced Munguia backwards from Canelo’s shots.
3. Munguia’s power won’t outmatch Canelo’s skill and consistency. Canelo holds an undisputable edge when it comes to punching accuracy, counterpunching power and overall precision; his opponent may show some bravery but won’t be good enough to win any rounds other than the first frame.
4. Munguia’s lack of experience will catch up to him later in the fight. Canelo lands several hard body shots to calm one of boxing’s most exciting offensive fighters. Unfortunately, Munguia didn’t use all his tools if he wants to win major titles in future bouts.