Munguia Cleared: Doping Charges Dropped

Jaime Munguia is free to box after he was cleared of any disciplinary action for failed tests that emerged following his May win over Bruno Surace.

Munguia secured a unanimous decision win to avenge the KO defeat in their first fight. However, he later failed for an exogenous testosterone. Both his A- and B-samples tested positive. The UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) conducted an investigation. There was a chance that Munguia could have seen the result get overturned, while also receiving a possible ban.

That is no longer the case, as Munguia’s team put forward a succesful defense. They argued that the findings were a “false positive” caused by “accidental contamination with pregnenolone.” Further arguments were that the levels found were “extremely low, provided no performance advantage, and were fully consistent with accidental exposure.”

The Future

This naturally raises questions over what is next. A rematch with Canelo Alvarez is the most lucrative option. The first fight, which Munguia lost by unanimous decision, sold a reported 650,000 PPVs. He showed immense heart and grit, by going the distance. A rematch would have a built-in narrative of Munguia seeking revenge.

Caleb Plant is also another big name. Plant, the former IBF super middleweight champion, is a skilled boxer with a slick, defensive style. A fight against him would be a test of Munguia’s boxing skills. A win for Munguia against Plant would be a significant step up from his last opponent and would keep him in the conversation for a title shot.

Jermall Charlo could also be an alternative. Charlo is a big name in the middleweight division, but he has been fighting at super middleweight. He is a power puncher with a lot of experience against top-level competition. A fight against him would be a high-pay, high-profile bout that would generate a lot of fan interest. Either way, Munguia’s aim is to box by the end of the year.

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