Super middleweight contenders Jaime Munguia 42-0 (33) and John ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder 32-6 (18) will clash at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on January 27.
Munguia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya announced the fight during the the broadcast of the Ryan Garcia vs Oscar Duarte fight on DAZN on Saturday night.
Munguia is coming off a thrilling 12-round war against Sergiy Derevyanchenko 14-5 (10) in June that he won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113 twice.
The undefeated 27-year-old Mexican is a former WBO junior middleweight titleholder.
British southpaw Ryder, 35, last saw action in May when he climbed off the canvas in the fifth round to last the distance in a losing effort against Mexican superstar and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 60-2-2 (39).
De La Hoya says the plan is to get a tough fight under Munguia’s belt before targeting the 33-year-old Alvarez.
“Yeah, it’s a big fight, but why would Canelo do Munguia in January? Ryder is the perfect opponent for Jaime Munguia,” the Golden Boy Promotions boss said.
“Jaime Munguia has the opportunity to do what Canelo couldn’t do and that’s knock out Ryder.
“Look, Munguia has options. Munguia wants to fight the very best. We’re going to chase the very best and that’s it. He’s [Munguia] is one of those fighters that needed all the experience that he has now off to the races.”
If Munguia can finish off the tough Ryder inside the distance, the drums will really start banging for an Alvarez fight.
“Jaime Munguia vs Ryder, the guy who went the distance with Canelo, so imagine his position. Imagine what he’s thinking, Jaime Munguia — ‘I want to knock out Ryder, what Canelo could not do.’ That will be a huge statement.”
Munguia was just 21 when he defeated Sadam Ali to claim the WBO 154-pound strap in May 2018. Despite holding the belt he has been nursed through his career since then, giving him time to grow into a complete fighter.
De La Hoya says the time is now to let him off the leash.
“He’s learning, he’s growing, he’s maturing,” he said. “Jaime Munguia is one of these kids that needed all of those fights under his belt. He needed that experience. Finally we have him in that position where he can fight anybody in the world.”
Ryder has been waiting for this opportunity for months.
“Matchroom and Golden Boy are talking in regards to the Munguia fight,” Ryder told Metro in late September.
“I’m hopeful in the coming days or weeks we can get something over the line. It is a fight I really like, it evaded us once before last year but everything happens for a reason and timing is everything in this game.
“It is a fight I of course believe I can win and it is one that keeps me operating at the level I have been operating at. I don’t want to drop down levels.
“I am 35 now, I am not going to be at this forever. I have probably got 12 to 18 months left in me at a push.
“But I still feel good, fresh in body and mind. I say I am putting a time scale on things but who knows, if you keep winning and getting the big fights you would be silly to retire. At the moment, I am seeing it fight-by-fight and I see the Munguia fight as a very winnable one.”
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