Notebook: Munguia again passes on title shot, this time vs. Janibek
Fury-Usyk on tap for 2023?; Martinez wants to unify flyweight titles; Top Rank signs pair of prospects; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Former junior middleweight titlist Jaime Munguia, who has been heavily criticized for facing one lesser opponent after another over his seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2020, has once again passed on a chance to fight for a world title.
At its annual convention earlier this month the WBO ordered middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly and mandatory challenger Munguia to meet next. The organization notified Alimkhanuly promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and Munguia co-promoter Eric Gomez of Golden Boy to begin negotiations and gave them 15 days to make a deal or a purse bid would be ordered.
However, there won’t be a deal or a purse bid as Munguia has passed on the fight.
“I can confirm Munguia will not be fighting (Alimkhanuly) as ordered by the WBO,” WBO attorney Gustavo Oliveiri told Fight Freaks Unite on Friday. “We will determine the next course of action pertaining to the mandatory next week.”
Alimkhanuly wanted the fight and when notified Munguia had declined, he tweeted his thoughts.
“Now what? Do you still doubt that I'm a middleweight nightmare,” Alimkhanuly wrote. “No, I’m not a nightmare anymore. I am the middleweight king! Where are the champions? Where are the stars? Your king is looking for you!
“I don’t want to fight with no name boxers. I need famous boxers! I hope that Bob Arum will find me a famous opponent.”
Top Rank was prepared to make the fight, vice president Carl Moretti told Fight Freaks Unite.
“Maybe Munguia is being sponsored by the University Oregon,” Moretti quipped. The University of Oregon teams are known as the “Ducks.”
Alimkhanuly (13-0, 8 KOs), 29, of Kazakhstan, outpointed Denzel Bentley in his first defense on Nov. 12 and Munguia (41-0, 33 KOs), 26, of Mexico, blew out Gonzalo Coria via third-round knockout in a mismatch on Nov. 19 with both fighters knowing going into their bouts that the mandatory would be ordered if they both won.
When Munguia vacated his WBO junior middleweight title he could have had an immediate title fight as a mandatory challenger against then-WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade but he did not seek it and Golden Boy and co-promoter Zanfer did not push for it or for Munguia to face a top opponent — nor did his broadcaster, DAZN — so Munguia has feasted on weak opposition.
Fury vs. Usyk next?
Lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury first has business to attend to in a third fight with massive underdog Derek Chisora, whom Fury already has easily beaten twice.
That fight between British countrymen will take place on Saturday (ESPN+ in U.S., BT Sport in U.K., 1 p.m. ET) before an expected crowd of more than 60,000 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
But after that, assuming Fury wins, will there finally be a fight for the undisputed championship against three-belt titlist Oleksandr Usyk?
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter, who is in London for Saturday’s fight, is bullish. He believes the fight will be made.
“I don't see any reason why the Usyk fight with Tyson Fury can’t be made speedily without much trouble,” Arum said this week. “I know the Usyk people very well. His manager, Egis Klimas, is a really good friend of mine. He manages (Top Rank fighters Vasiliy) Lomachenko and Janibek (Alimkhanuly). I’ve dealt with him a whole lot over the years.
“I know Oleksandr Usyk. I know he wants the fight. I talked with Tyson a little while ago, and he wants the fight. That fight will happen next unless Mr. Chisora lands his punch. Don’t discount Chisora. He is a hell of a fighter. He has a tremendous punch. I remember when he fought Usyk (in Usyk’s heavyweight debut in 2020). He gave Usyk life or death. That fight could have gone either way. You can’t, in this business, count your chickens before they hatch.”
Fury, who will be making his third WBC title defense and ninth lineal title defense, would have preferred to face Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs), 35, a southpaw from Ukraine and the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, in this fight.
However, after Usyk outpointed Anthony Joshua for the second time in August, he elected to take the rest of the year off and put off a potential fight with Fury to the first part of 2023. Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs), 34, then attempted to make a fight with Joshua, but that went nowhere and Chisora (33-12, 23 KOs), 38, Fury’s old friend, got the fight and seems to be all that stands in the way of the undisputed title fight.
Martinez wants unification
WBC flyweight titlist Julio Cesar Martinez will face a late-notice opponent for his fifth defense in the co-feature of the Juan Francisco Estrada-Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez trilogy fight on Saturday (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, but hopes a win will lead to unification.
Martinez (18-2, 14 KOs), 27, of Mexico, was scheduled to fight interim titlist McWilliams Arroyo in a rematch of their wild third-round no contest last November, but Arroyo suffered a neck/back injury and was forced out of the bout. He was replaced two weeks ago by Carmona (8-0, 4 KOs), 26, who was a 2016 Olympic quarterfinalist for Spain, although he did not turn pro until 2019.
“We weren’t expecting this fight, but we were preparing for any type of fighter, a technical boxer, a come-forward fighter,” Martinez said. “I’ve not seen a great deal of him, but he has also fought Joel Cordova like I have, and I’ve seen that he can take shots and can also come forward. At times he really likes to trade but it’s going to be a good fight and let’s see what he brings and how he counter punches.”
What Martinez really wants is to face other titleholders and unify the division.
“There are various champions and a vacant WBO title, so there are various belts that I would like and I’m ready to fight for them,” Martinez said. “I’ve never ducked anyone. We’ve been ready for a while to unify and go for all those belts. I would like the (IBF titlist Sunny) Edwards fight. It’s what we're looking for, those big fights and more than anything to unify and go after all those belts. I’ll fight anybody anywhere.”
He also has aspirations to win a title at junior bantamweight, where he fought in his last fight in March as a replacement opponent and was soundly outpointed by Gonzalez in a nontitle bout.
“We want to do all we can at flyweight and then go up to (junior bantamweight,” said Martinez, who shares trainer Eddy Reynoso with undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. “As I always say, wherever and with whoever, we come to fight. Like my colleague Canelo, I'm going for all the belts. I want to be a unified champion and more than anything to leave a legacy.”
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked the three notable Saturday fights: Tyson Fury-Derek Chisora III for the heavyweight championship, the co-feature between Daniel Dubois and Kevin Lerena for Dubois’ WBA “regular” heavyweight title and Juan Francisco Estrada-Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez III for the junior bantamweight championship. We also took viewer questions and comments! Check out the show here:
Top Rank signs pair
Top Rank on Friday announced that it has signed Atlanta welterweight Brian Norman Jr. and 2020 Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco to promotional deals and that both will make their debuts for the company on Jan. 14 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Their bouts will stream on ESPN+ on the undercard of the Efe Ajagba-Oscar Rivas heavyweight main event.
“Brian and Rohan are elite talents with world championship potential, and we expect 2023 to be the start of something special for both young men,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.
Norman (22-0, 19 KOs), 22, is trained by his father, Brian Norman Sr., who was a pro fighter from 2003 to 2011 and faced opponents such as former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Norman Jr. has gained experience by training with fighters such as Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis, and Jaron Ennis.
“I worked hard to get here and will work even harder to push my limits,” Norman said. “Jan. 14th will be my first fight in over a year, so I have to put on a big show. I’m doing everything in training camp to make sure I exceed my own expectations.”
Norman is managed by former Main Events executive Jolene Mizzone’s upstart Fighters First Management.
“This is our first fighter signed with a major promotional company, and we couldn't be any happier that it is Top Rank,” Mizzone said. “We look forward to working together and getting Brian Norman, Jr. to that championship level.”
Polanco (8-0, 5 KOs), 24, who is trained by Hector Bermudez and managed by Gary Hyde, turned pro before the delayed 2020 Olympics and went 4-0 before going to competing in the Games last summer and losing his opening bout by split decision.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to sign with Top Rank,” Polanco said. “I’ve devoted my life to boxing, and I’m blessed to share my talent at this level.”
Quick hits
Weight from London for the Queensberry/Top Rank card on Saturday (ESPN+, BT Sport Box Office, 1 p.m. ET): Tyson Fury 268.6 pounds, Derek Chisora 260.6 (for Fury’s lineal/WBC heavyweight title); Daniel Dubois 240.3, Kevin Lerena 230.9 (for Dubois’ WBA “regular” heavyweight title); Yvan Mendy 134.6, Denys Berinchyk 134.75 (for Mendy’s European lightweight title); Karol Itauma 177.1, Vladimir Belujsky 176.6; Royston Barney Smith 133.8, Cruz Perez 132.25.
Weights from Glendale, Arizona, for the Matchroom Boxing card Saturday on DAZN (8 p.m. ET): Juan Francisco Estrada 115 pounds, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez 114.7 (for Estrada’s lineal and vacant WBC junior bantamweight title); Julio Cesar Martinez 111, Samuel Carmona 111.4 (for Martinez’s WBC flyweight title); Diego Pacheco 167.4, Adrian Luna 168; Joselito Velazquez 112.3, Cristofer Rosales 112.6; Austin Williams 162.1, Simon Madsen 160.6; Marc Castro 133.6, Maickol Lopez 132; Anthony Herrera 119.6, Christian Sullivan 119.7; Beatriz Ferreira 129.5, Carisse Brown 129.3.
Last month, former super middleweight titlist Caleb Plant (22-1, 13 KOs), 30, of Las Vegas, and current WBC interim titlist David Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs), 25, of Phoenix, announced via social media that they had signed face each other next in a marquee fight in the 168-pound division ruled by undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. The fight is penciled in for March 18 in Las Vegas, a source told Fight Freaks Unite. The fight is being planned for Showtime PPV, sources told Fight Freaks Unite.
The rematch between WBO junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, which was penciled in for Feb. 4 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, the site of their first bout, will move to a date to be determined in March, according to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. Top Rank hopes to get it situated in the next week or so, but it was moved due for what was termed “a scheduling conflict.” Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs), 31, of Scotland, won a very controversial decision over Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs), 29, a southpaw from England, in defense of the undisputed title this past February. Stung by intense criticism, Taylor opted to pursue a rematch rather than make mandatory defenses. That resulted in Taylor vacating or being stripped of the other three belts.
Former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (36-6-1, 20 KOs), 40, of Montreal, and Michael Eifert (11-1, 4 KOs), 24, of Germany, will meet in an IBF title elimination bout on Feb. 9 at Place Bell in Pascal’s hometown of Laval, Quebec, just outside of Montreal, Pascal promoter Lou DiBella told Fight Freaks Unite. The winner will be one of unified champion Artur Beterbiev’s mandatory challengers. DiBella and Eifert’s team made a deal about a month ago and avoided a purse bid. Now the date is set. It will be on pay-per-view in Canada. No U.S. outlet yet but it could land on ESPN+.
Show and tell
Hall of Famer Felix Trinidad was 38-0 and demolished David Reid in his junior middleweight debut earlier in the year to win the WBA title before smashing up mandatory challenger Mamadou Thiam’s eye in a third-round knockout that summer. Fernando Vargas, the IBF titleholder, was 20-0 and had scored a decision win over highly-respected former welterweight titlist Ike Quartey earlier in the year and then blew out mandatory challenger Ross Thompson in four rounds that summer. It all set the stage for a massively anticipated title unification fight between Trinidad and Vargas at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Promoters Don King and Main Events dubbed the fight on TVKO (the old name for HBO PPV) as “Forces of Destruction” and it was perfect. The exciting stars delivered everything fans could have hoped for — an all-out slugfest with wild momentum swings and six total knockdowns. Vargas was down twice (and nearly stopped) in the first round, Trinidad was down in the fourth round, both fighters lost points for bad low blows, and Trinidad closed the show by dropping Vargas three times in the 12th round for the knockout to unify titles. I was ringside to cover the fight for USA Today in my second-ever boxing trip to Las Vegas and to this day it remains one of the best fights I have ever covered. I view it as the greatest 154-pound title fight ever. The classic battle was on Dec. 2, 2000 — 22 years ago on Friday. Here is a poster from the fight in my collection.
Munguia photo: Zanfer Promotions; Martinez-Carmona and Estrada-Gonzalez photos: Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing; Fury-Chisora photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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Munguia should be ignored by boxing media till he fights a live body. He's ducking fighters in plain sight, with no explanation or better plan. Saying he wants Charlo or GGG knowing those fights won't happen (at least not next) is just horseshit and doesn't deserve to be considered as credible. The best way for him to get a big fight with those guys is to have that WBO belt as leverage, and he knows it yet continues to pass in favor of easy pay days. Fuck him and his chicken shit career.
Boycott Munguia!