Canelo vs. Munguia Undercard Receives A Mixed Reaction – ‘Cherry Pick, Terrible’

The undercard for Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia has been announced, receiving a mixed reaction from fans.

Canelo defends his Undisputed Super Middleweight Title against the unbeaten Munguia. The fight has received some criticism after suggestions Canelo ducked David Benavidez for a perceived easier fight. Benavidez has been the WBC Super Middleweight Interim Champion for over two years, giving him a greater claim to a title shot. Ex-WBC Super Middleweight Champion Sakio Bika believes Canelo is ducking Benavidez.

“Given that Benavidez has maintained his position as the top contender for a year and has secured victories over all opponents Canelo has faced, it seems plausible that Canelo may not want the fight. If there had been genuine interest from Canelo’s side in arranging this match, it would have happened by now. It seems likely he is scared to take Benavidez’s challenge head-on. The actions and decisions of Canelo’s team seem to suggest a reluctance to pursue this fight,” Bika said 

Jaron Ennis

Now, the undercard has also received some scrutiny. Jaron Ennis was being linked with a fight against his IBF Welterweight mandatory Cody Crowley on the Canelo-Munguia card. Boots has been out of the ring since last July after stopping Roiman Villa. Legal issues have hindered his activity, as he sued NOW Boxing for a breach of contract. He claimed his four-year deal allowed him to fight four times in the first two years and three fights in each of the last two years.

“By reason of the foregoing, a justiciable controversy exists between adverse parties, which involves a substantial legal right of Plaintiff-to wit the right to engage in his chosen livelihood and earn a living; and Plaintiff therefore seeks a Declaratory Judgment that the Agreement is void ab initio. Plaintiff seeks an order and judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendant declaring that the Agreement is void,” Ennis’ team

The fight was set for purse bids on March 19. But with nothing new emerging in that regard, Crowley will now face Souleymane Cissokho in a WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator. That has left Boots out in the cold.

Rest Of The Card

The rest of the card features Mario Barrios defending his WBC Interim Welterweight Title against Fabian Maidana. Barrios is coming off the best win of his career, beating Yordenis Ugas last year. Maidana has won his last four bouts and stopped three of his opponents, but this will be his biggest test.

Brandon Figueroa defends his WBC Interim Featherweight Belt against Jessie Magdaleno. Figueroa defends his WBC Interim Featherweight Strap against former WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Magdaleno, who is coming off a loss to Raymond Ford. Figueroa is in a mixed run of form, having won two of his last three fights. That defeat came against the former WBC and WBO Superbantamweight Champion Stephen Fulton.

Elsewhere, Eimantas Stanionis takes on Gabriel Maestra. Stanionis defends his WBA Interim Welterweight Title against ex-Olympian Gabriel Maestra. Stanionis is a rising star in the welterweight division with a 14-0 record. But the 37-year-old Maestra, whose record is 6-0-1, will hardly test him.