- Jaime Munguia and Armando Resendiz both hit the 168lbs super middleweight limit at the T-Mobile official weigh-in
- WBA Super Middleweight strap on the line in the co-main of the Cinco de Mayo PPV card
- Canelo Alvarez set to attend ringside as the September dance partner picture sharpens up
Both On The Limit, Both On Mission
Right then. Jaime Munguia and Armando Resendiz both made the 168lbs super middleweight limit at Friday's T-Mobile weigh-in. WBA Super Middleweight title on the line in the co-main. Mexican civil war on Cinco de Mayo. Canelo watching from ringside. And the September picture for the king of Mexican boxing very much in play.
Make no mistake — this is bigger than a co-main slot. Both these men know exactly what's on the line, and it's not just a title.
Munguia's Crossroads
Jaime Munguia has had a strange couple of years. He went the distance with Canelo last May and gave a brilliant account of himself, but lost the cards. He's been knocking around at 168 looking for the right moment. This is the right moment. Resendiz isn't a tune-up. Resendiz is a real test, a current titleholder, and the kind of operator who wins fights ugly when he needs to.
Munguia at his best is a relentless body-snatcher with proper power in both hands. He's been working on the defensive end with new coaching, but the question's always been whether he can change patterns mid-fight. That gets answered Saturday.
Resendiz Has The Belt And The Belief
Don't sleep on Toro. Armando Resendiz is the WBA champion for a reason. He's got the engine, he's got a strong chin, and frankly he's the kind of fighter who irritates better-known names by simply not going away. He's not at the level of the elite super middleweights, but he's close enough that on a good night against a man who shows up flat, he wins. Munguia cannot show up flat.
The Canelo September Picture
Here's the angle nobody's quite saying out loud — Canelo Alvarez is going to be ringside on Saturday. He's already in talks for a September fight, and the winner of this Mexican civil war has a real claim. So does the winner of the main event. Two pitches in one night, with Canelo holding the audition card.
Munguia winning impressively gets him back in the conversation. Resendiz winning impressively turns him into a name overnight. Either way, Canelo's leaving Vegas with options.
The Pick
I'm with Munguia, but not as wide as I would have been a year ago. He's the bigger puncher, he's the more experienced operator at the world level, and he's the man with the urgency. Decision win for Munguia, somewhere round 117-111. He bullies the body in the middle rounds, he banks rounds with output, and he doesn't get caught on anything stupid late.
If Resendiz wins it'll be because Munguia gets too patient — and that's the watchful note. T-Mobile, Saturday, Cinco de Mayo, on the Benavidez vs Zurdo PPV. Don't miss this co-main.