Promoter Oscar De La Hoya threw the primary punch on the satisfaction of Canelo Álvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) after a cordial information convention with rival Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) in Beverly Hills .
“Yesterday’s press conference was boring, like Canelo’s fights,” De la Hoya posted on X a day after the March information convention.
Immediately after, in an interview with L.A. Times en Español, Álvarez responded by calling De La Hoya a promoter who solely “says stupid things.”
On Wednesday in Las Vegas, the 2 had one other intense spherical of insults, in an occasion that was something however boring.
While the rivalry may be comical at instances, stuffed with Álvarez’s bilingual insults towards one in all boxing’s most controversial characters, it’s what this Cinco de Mayo weekend fight needed. Álvarez will face an undefeated former champion from Tijuana, Munguia, who says little and has solely proven respect for his prizefighter opponent when discussing the tremendous middleweight contest this Saturday (5 p.m., DAZN PPV, PPV.com) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Álvarez and De La Hoya spat helped a fight that lacked spice due to Munguia’s deep respect for Canelo. To be truthful, Munguia has at all times been respectful of his opponents and just isn’t recognized for speaking out of flip. However, he has promised that respect won’t be mirrored when it comes time to step into the ring, changing into the primary Mexican opponent Álvarez will face since he defeated Julio César Chávez Jr. in 2017.
De La Hoya provoked Álvarez by demanding respect for his firm, noting he represented Álvarez from 2010-20. He additionally talked about that Álvarez failed two drug assessments in 2018, a technique Canelo’s rivals have used up to now to upset him.
De La Hoya, an Olympic medalist and 10-time world champion in six completely different divisions, is thought for lobbing insults, however the problem he issued to Álvarez was distinctive.
“He seems to have trouble remembering who helped him become a true world star. To be clear, I have nothing but respect for Canelo Álvarez as a boxer. His record and skills speak for themselves, but he has spent much of the last two months insulting me, instead of promoting this fight,” De La Hoya mentioned when it got here time to step up to the rostrum.
“The company you’ve fought under for decades has always had a name, and it’s mine.”
Shortly after, Álvarez stood on stage and the 2 males stood eye-to-eye lower than 10 toes aside earlier than being separated.
“For this imbecile … don’t let him forget that I came to the United States as Canelo and he only profited with my name. He made money,” Álvarez responded to De La Hoya.
The rivalry between Álvarez and De La Hoya runs deep, with each having seen one another in court docket .
Álvarez filed a lawsuit in 2020 in Los Angeles federal court docket towards Golden Boy Promotions, De La Hoya and DAZN, alleging breach of contract. He sought no less than $280 million in damages after a $365 million, 11-fight deal he signed with DAZN in 2018 fell aside. De La Hoya, DAZN and Álvarez disagreed over which fighters the Mexican ought to face, which is why the contract spanned simply three fights.
The lawsuit was settled in 2020, with De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions releasing Álvarez from his contract. Álvarez been a free agent since, working with promoters corresponding to Matchroom and PBC. This fight marks the primary time Álvarez has labored with Golden Boy Promotions and De La Hoya, who’re Munguía’s co-promoters, together with Fernando Beltrán’s Promociones Zanfer, a well known Mexican promoter who managed the profession of legendary Tijuana native Erik Morales, and who was the principle negotiator brokering the Canelo-Munguía fight.
During Wednesday’s information convention, Canelo reminded De La Hoya a few 2022 lawsuit filed by Gennady Golovkin towards Golden Boy Promotions, throughout which he sought $3 million owed from the Kazakhstan native’s second bout towards Álvarez. De La Hoya argued everybody related to the fight was paid what they had been owed.
“If I hadn’t gotten my lawyers in to do an audit, I could have been robbed of millions of dollars,” Álvarez advised reporters on Wednesday.
While De La Hoya and Álvarez verbally sparred, Munguia was smiling, hidden behind darkish glasses. On Saturday, he may have to show he has the expertise and sufficient to disrespect to greatest Álvarez within the ring.
Munguia has elite hand pace, a stable jaw, is bodily larger than Canelo and can ship a excessive quantity of punches. Nicknamed “Tatanka [Buffalo,]” Munguia is six years youthful than Álvarez, though many think about this an obstacle given the Jalisco native’s in depth expertise in championship fights.
Munguia received the World Boxing Organization tremendous welterweight belt in 2018 when he defeated Sadam Ali by knockout, a crown he defended 5 instances earlier than shifting up to middleweight in 2020 the place he picked up wins beginning with Gary O’Sullivan. In 2023, he moved up to tremendous middleweight towards the tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko to earn a detailed unanimous resolution. Earlier this yr he beat John Ryder by knockout, one thing Álvarez was unable to do final yr.
However, Munguia just isn’t recognized for having a stable protection, a flaw Álvarez may exploit together with his harmful uppercut and counter punch that has made him a champion in 4 completely different divisions and the winningest Mexican boxer in historical past.
Álvarez is a —600 favourite on the books (guess $600 to win $100), whereas Munguia is +425 (win $425 for each $100).
“You’re going to see action inside the ring, that’s the most important thing,” Munguia mentioned forward of the competition, throughout which Álvarez will danger his 4 tremendous middleweight belts. “It’s a fight where you’re going to see a lot of punches and there will be a lot of action for the fans.”
This article first appeared in Spanish on L.A. Times en Español.