Having made a commitment to never face another Mexican fighter, Canelo Alvarez found himself having to explain his decision at the press conference for his upcoming fight.
Set to defend his super-middleweight crown against fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia on Saturday, May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during Cinco De Mayo weekend, Canelo has previously fought opponents like Amir Khan, Daniel Jacobs, Billy Joe Saunders, and Dmitry Bivol on the same weekend.
In a memorable fight on May 6, 2017, Canelo defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr during Mexico’s celebration, but since then, he had made it clear that he would not face any more challengers from his home country.
After his trilogy fight against Gennadiy Golovkin in September 2022, Canelo expressed his refusal to fight another Mexican, citing his representation of his country as the reason.
Despite his previous statements, Canelo confirmed that he chose to fight Munguia, a respectful challenger who has earned his shot through hard work and dedication. Canelo expressed his excitement for the fight and its significance for Mexico.
Although David Benavidez was a notable omission from the conversation, Canelo praised Munguia’s discipline and power, welcoming the challenge presented by the younger fighter.
Munguia, in turn, showed respect and gratitude towards Canelo, acknowledging him as a source of inspiration and expressing his desire to emulate his success in the ring.
With less than seven weeks until the fight, both fighters are prepared to let their fists do the talking in what promises to be Canelo’s toughest test since his loss to Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight on Cinco De Mayo two years ago.