Newly Crowned WBO Champion Munguia: “Next Year I’ll Go To 160 – I Want Canelo or Golovkin!”

Newly crowned WBO junior middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia (29-0, 25 KOs) is planning to make a move to the middleweight division in 2019 – and he wants the two biggest names at the weight.

On Saturday night, he made a major statement when he knocked out Sadam Ali in four rounds to capture the WBO crown at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.

Ali went down four times in the contest. Twice in the first round, again in the second and a fourth time in the fourth.

Munguia was a late replacement for mandatory challenger Liam Smith, who withdrew a few weeks ago with illness.

Before he received the opportunity to fight Ali, the unbeaten Mexican was being highly considered as a potential opponent for middleweight king Gennady Golovkin for May 5th.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission rejected the idea of Munguia fighting Golovkin.

Their decision prompted GGG to move his fight to California – but instead of facing Munguia he finalized a fight with Vanes Martirosyan.

Munguia, who is massive for the division, is planning to once again explore that fight next year.

“I would like to go up to middleweight next year, for Canelo or Golovkin, since they did not give me the opportunity. I want to see if [GGG] is not afraid of me,” Munguia said.

Regarding his spectacular triumph over Ali, the young Mexican said he was proud to become a world champion at the tender age of 21 years old.

“It’s a part of Mexican history, almost no Mexican and at this young age have won the WBO world title. I was very excited and I did not know what to do. I know that I am a fighter with a great punch and I was confident that I could knock him out from the first to the third round,” said Munguia after his victory.

https://www.boxingscene.com/munguia-next-year-ill-go-160-i-want-canelo-golovkin–128138