By Norm Frauenheim –
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jaime Munguia, a quiet man in a noisy business, brought a brass band with him.
It marched onto stage, drums banging and horns blaring at an otherwise predictable weigh-in Thursday, about 24 hours before a comeback from his lone loss Friday night against Erik Bazinyan Friday in an ESPN-televised bout at Desert Diamond Arena.
It wasn’t exactly an orchestra. Easy listening, it wasn’t. But there are no violins in boxing. Just a few fiddles, tarnished trombones and cymbals that sound like crashing trash-can lids. They were all there, introducing Munguia before he stepped on the scale and then off at 167.7 pounds, just under the super-middleweight limit.
It wasn’t exactly pretty.
But it was impossible to ignore.
That’s the idea.
Munguia, post-Canelo, is embarking on a new stage of his career, one that begins with hopes that have always been there despite an expected, yet some what sobering scorecard loss last May. Nobody thought Munguia would beat Canelo Alvarez.
But it was impossible to say no to the opportunity and money. Sure enough, he lost. But the defeat might prove to be a valuable lesson plan for a fighter projected to be among the elite within a few years. He’s 27-years-old, at the doorstep of his prime.
“I feel strong, better than ever,’’ Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) said amid the band’s clanging echoes as it exited the arena.
The plan is for Munguia to deliver an opening statement on what he hopes to accomplish. Bazinyan (32-01, 23 KOs), an Armenian-born fighter living in Montreal, is unknown to most fans in Mexico and the United States. But he represents a significant test of Munguia and his aspirations. A decisive win could put an end to any doubts about how Munguia would emerge from the Canelo loss.
In tone, at least, Munguia, who has one-fight deal with Top Rank, has begun to sound more decisive. There were whispered questions about his maturity before the Canelo fight. At times, it sounded as if he was just happy to be there. Earlier this week, however, Munguia left little doubt about what he thought of Canelo’s assertion that he had carried Munguia. Canelo told media before his scorecard victory over Edgar Berlanga last Saturday that he didn’t knock out Munguia because he didn’t want to embarrass his fellow Mexican.
For the first time in an interview with Boxing Scene and The Boxing Hour last Tuesday, Munguia responded clearly and forcefully. He respects Canelo. But, Munguia said, he found Canelo’s “carried” claim to be “disrespectful.’’
It was a comment that some saw as a sure sign that Munguia is maturing, moving on and into his prime as his own man. Now, it’s time for him to follow-up against Bazinyan, who is ranked among the world’s top 10 super-middleweights by virtually every acronym and boxing publication.
If Munguia is fighting to introduce himself to another stage of his career, Bazinyan is battling to introduce himself to fans beyond Canada.
“I’m here to win,’’ he said after weighing at 169.9 pounds.
It’s hard to know what to make of Bazinyan’s record. His most noteworthy win is a stoppage of Ronald Ellis. He knocked him out in the sixth round with successive rights in October 2023. Ellis also got stopped by David Benavidez, who blew him out in the 11th round in March 2021. Christian M’billi scored a decision over Ellis in December of 2021. Benavidez is now at light-heavyweight after vacating a so-called mandatory challenger’s spot at super-middleweight. Then, M’billi moved into the spot that Benavidez vacated.
Bazinyan’s stoppage of Ellis suggest he’s a threat. But his most recent fight, a draw with somebody named Shakeel Phinn in May, suggests he’s not.
“He’s a good fighter,’’ said Munguia, who has been reunited with Hall of Famer Erik Morales as his trainer after two fights with Freddie Roach. “He switches up, he’s got power. I’ve got to be ready. We’re prepared. We have a lot of thing coming. But, first we have this big fight here. We have to win this to move forward.’’
