Boxing analyst BarbosaBox floated Munguia against Osleys Iglesias, a fight that would carry more weight than a standard defense. Iglesias holds the IBF title and has built a reputation as one of the most avoided fighters at 168 pounds, stopping 14 of his first 15 opponents.
The jump from Armando Resendiz to Osleys Iglesias is not only a step up in class, it’s a completely different sport.
Bob Arum and Fernando Beltran of Top Rank & Zanfer have spent years carefully cultivating Munguia. They’ve consistently prioritized high-visibility, manageable-risk fights, ike the Erik Bazinyan or Bruno Surace bouts, to keep the Munguia brand profitable.
Iglesias is promoted by Eye of the Tiger (Camille Estephan). While they are hungry for big fights, they don’t have the same cross-promotional marriage with Top Rank that would make a risky unification a no-brainer.
Munguia just secured the WBA belt. From a promoter’s perspective, why risk losing that leverage immediately against a 6’2″ Cuban southpaw with a 93% knockout rate when you could milk the title for a few lucrative homecoming defenses in Mexico first?
Resendiz was a come-forward brawler who sat right in Munguia’s wheelhouse. Munguia often struggles with distance against taller opponents. Iglesias has one-punnch power and he has that amateur-schooled Cuban invisible lead hand that makes life miserable for orthodox fighters.
Munguia’s defense, even under Eddy Reynoso, still has lapses. A southpaw with Iglesias’s length and counter-punching ability is the worst possible matchup for a fighter who relies on volume and mid-range combinations.
If the Saudi Mexico vs. The World card happens in September, the promoters will likely look for a name that carries less physical threat than Iglesias. An ideal option would be Edgar Berlanga. He’s A massive commercial fight that is far more winnable for Munguia and easier to negotiate.
Promoters generally don’t put their Golden Goose in a cage with a wolf unless the check is so big it covers the cost of a loss. As talented as Iglesias is, he doesn’t bring the mainstream North American PPV numbers to justify that level of risk for Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions.
Read the full article here
