On Tuesday, it was announced that former WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia returns for his sophomore outing at 160 pounds against Tureano Johnson on Friday, Oct. 30, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., exclusively on DAZN. The show will be taking place without fans due to COVID-19.
Munguia (35-0, 28 KOs) put the boxing world on notice in May 2018, violently knocking out Sadam Ali to capture the WBO strap. He made five consecutive title defenses before making the trek up to 160 pounds. In January, Munguia made his middleweight debut, beating Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan by 11th round TKO.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Munguia to be on the shelf until the end of October. The 23-year-old is excited to finally return and continue his journey to getting a crack at a middleweight belt.
"It's a great honor to be returning during these tough times," Munguia said in a press release. "I hope to deliver excitement and entertainment to the fans as the world begins to slowly make its return to normalcy. At the same time, I have been training and improving my skills with my team at the Ceremonial Center in Otomi [Mexico], and I will show everyone that Jaime Munguia is ready for the best in the division."
Up to this point, Johnson (21-2-1, 15 KOs) will be Munguia's toughest test. Johnson has taken on the likes of three-time middleweight title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko and knockout artist Curtis Stevens. The 36-year-old native of the Bahamas put on a great show his last time out, stopping Jaime Quigley in the ninth round. A win over Munguia pushes Johnson closer to securing his first crack at a major world championship.
"I am excited about the opportunity to fight Jaime Munguia," Johnson said. "The setbacks I have had in my career have only made me stronger. Munguia is a tough undefeated fighter, but I will hand him his first defeat as I pursue my quest to be the middleweight champion of the world."