Robert Diaz explained why he thinks Jaime Munguia has done well to wait for a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
As a fellow Mexican, with an unbeaten record, he was regularly linked with a clash with Canelo, but until this year he never appeared close to getting such a high-profile fight.
However, Canelo and Munguia will now go head to head this weekend, live on DAZN PPV on Saturday.
The latter is 43-0 and even though Mexican fighters often have plenty of professional fights to their names before breaking through to the big time, many have been anticipating a big step up for Munguia well before 2024.
However, Diaz thinks that he has been held back against Canelo until he is in his prime.
“It’s perfect timing,” he told BoxingScene.com . “Munguia is at his best; had it been a year ago, two years ago, we wouldn’t be talking about it like we are today.
“The timing is perfect. Munguia’s filled into the weight class perfectly; he looks big; he looks strong; he believes in himself; the experience is there of handling big fights; he’s headlined a few already himself.
“The fan base has grown – he has a great trainer [Freddie Roach] behind him. I’m sure they’re going to have a great strategy, not only as a Mexican versus a Mexican – which always brings out the pride in each side. ‘I can lose to anybody in the world but I’m not going to lose to a countryman’ – that’s what always provides this with fireworks and guarantees a spectacular performance and a spectacular fight.
“Munguia’s matching was very clever and very well done – and again, it was an amazing job. Hats off to Fernando Beltran [Munguia’s co-promoter, of Zanfer Promotions].
“In my part it was a little frustrating at times. I did the fight with Tureano Johnson [in 2020] personally, and Tureano hurt him in the first round and looked like he was going to knock him out. Munguia showed a lot of heart; recovered, and then stopped Tureano later, on a bad cut. It’s timing and position. There’s times you would read a lot of the comments from the media; from the fans.”
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