Jaime Munguía faces a mandatory defense that carries serious danger. The WBA ordered its super middleweight champion to negotiate with Bektemir Melikuziev, giving both camps until October 21 to reach an agreement.
Munguía spent years benefiting from calculated matchmaking. The clearest exception came against Canelo Alvarez, who dropped him and coasted to a wide decision in May 2024. Melikuziev lacks Canelo’s complete skillset, but his southpaw power and vicious body punching present an unusually severe threat.
“The WBA orders negotiations between Jaime Munguía and Bektemir Melikuziev for the super middleweight championship. They have until October 21 to reach an agreement,” said ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez about the WBA’s order.
Failure to agree before the deadline will force the sanctioning body to send the bout to a purse bid.
Munguía (46-2, 35 KOs) captured the belt by outworking Jose Armando Resendiz over twelve rounds on May 2. He controlled that bout with sheer punch output, but Resendiz lacked the speed or punching power to make him pay for his customary defensive holes.
Bruno Surace revealed the real cost of those habits. The French underdog detonated a single overhand right to flatten Munguía in round six during their December 2024 meeting in Tijuana. Surace entered that ring with only five career knockouts.
Munguía avenged that defeat on points five months later in Saudi Arabia, but going twelve rounds did nothing to erase the technical carelessness that got him dropped. If an unproven puncher like Surace can connect so cleanly, Melikuziev can do considerably worse.
Melikuziev (17-1, 11 KOs) attacks with heavy hands and relentless intent downstairs. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist hunts from a southpaw stance, waiting for opponents to overcommit before uncorking his straight left hand.
That punch serves as the ultimate weapon against Munguía. The Tijuana native habitually drops his lead shoulder, flaring his elbows wide as he charges inside with looping rights. His guard splits apart, presenting an inviting path straight down the pipe. Canelo exploited that exact opening, splitting Munguía’s gloves with a short counter uppercut to put him on the canvas.
Munguía holds advantages in height and reach, yet physical dimensions offer little protection if he ditches his jab to brawl inside. Melikuziev relishes opponents who plant their feet in front of him. He ducks under wild punches, gains dominant foot position, and digs crunching hooks into the ribcage.
Munguía’s smartest path requires pumping a stiff jab from range while refusing to get drawn into mid-ring fire fights. That approach demands strict round-by-round composure, a quality Munguía rarely maintains. His first reaction to taking a punch is always firing back with wild, prolonged flurries.
Melikuziev carries his own flaws. Gabriel Rosado knocked him unconscious with a single counter right hand in 2021 by timing his reckless forward rushes. Munguía throws the necessary volume to exploit that vulnerability, but trading on the inside turns the bout into an outright chin contest.
The WBA ruling presents an awkward dilemma for Golden Boy Promotions. Oscar De La Hoya relies on Munguía to headline cards and generate box office revenue. Melikuziev remains a high-risk stablemate who brings minimal commercial upside. Pitting them against each other risks derailing a major asset.
Munguía could drop the belt and chase a softer payday. Vacating the title immediately after beating Resendiz would only validate complaints about his protected matchmaking. Accepting the Melikuziev bout forces him to defend his belt against the exact puncher his career architecture was built to dodge.
Read the full article here
