Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya: 'Jaime Munguia-GGG fight will be epic for both guys'
Watch Munguia vs. Ballard on DAZN (Except Mexico)
Golden Boy Promotions kicks off their 2022 schedule on Saturday as Jaime Munguia squares off with D'Mitrius Ballard from Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico, which can be seen worldwide on (excluding Mexico).
A win for Munguia (38-0, 30 KOs) keeps him in the No. 1 contender spot in the WBC and WBO. Munguia told DAZN News earlier this week that he wants a title fight in 2022. His desired preference is IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin. "GGG" is someone Munguia's promoter at Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, has his eye on along with WBO titlist Demetrius Andrade.
A win for Munguia (38-0, 30 KOs) keeps him in the No. 1 contender spot in the WBC and WBO. Munguia told DAZN News earlier this week that he wants a title fight in 2022. His desired preference is IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin. "GGG" is someone Munguia's promoter at Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, has his eye on along with WBO titlist Demetrius Andrade.
"If he wins this fight against Ballard, which is not an easy fight. Ballard is a tough guy, undefeated, big strong guy, a lot of experience," De La Hoya recently told DAZN News.
"But if Munguia wins, then we're looking to face him in there against anybody. Munguia wants to fight GGG, the winner of GGG and Murata. He would love that opportunity. We're not shying away from a potential fight with Demetrius Andrade.
"I know that everybody and their mother doesn't want to face him. But Jaime Munguia is ready and willing to face the very best, and I think Andrade is one of them."
De La Hoya promoted the two classic fights between Canelo Alvarez and Golovkin in 2017 and 2018. "The Golden Boy" feels if he can make Munguia-Golovkin in the future, it would be a fight to remember.
"I believe that the two fights that Golovkin had with Canelo were epic fights, were entertaining, (and) controversial fights, and were great for the sport," De La Hoya said.
"(They were) great for the brand, the Canelo brand, the GGG brand. But I strongly feel that the fans were ultimately waiting for a knockout. You have two knockout punches. You'd have strong fighters in Golovkin and Canelo. They didn't deliver that. So I strongly feel that a Jaime Munguia-GGG fight in the near future can deliver a lot of action, can deliver a great fight, the fight of the year just based on their styles alone.
"Jaime Munguia is a guy who doesn't necessarily have the best defense yet because he is being trained by Erik Morales, who is teaching him the ropes, so to speak. But he's a devastating puncher. He has a lot of heart. He has a great fan-friendly style that can only make it a great fight against Gennadiy Golovkin.
"We know Golovkin is one guy who never shies away from a challenge. He goes in their forward, face-first, action-packed fights all the time. So we strongly feel that a Jaime Munguia-GGG fight will be epic for both guys."
