Bazinyan Gives Munguia A Test Before Succumbing To Pressure

 

A challenge that can occur from time to time when a fighter is coming off of a loss for that fighter's handlers is to determine not only what type of opponent that the fighter will face coming off of a loss in terms of style, but also to decide what the purpose of that opponent will be at least in theory. Will the intention simply be to provide the fighter with an opponent that from a stylistic standpoint as well as overall experience, the fighter should beat without much risk, or will the intention be to match their charge against a dangerous fighter in an attempt to get them back into position to potentially fight for a world championship. In other words, to throw them back into the deep end where the fighter has to for lack of a better term, *Sink Or Swim”

For the former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia, his bout against undefeated Erik Bazinyan on September 20th in Glendale,AZ would prove to be the latter. Not only was this an encounter between a fighter coming off the first loss of his career in Munguia going against an unbeaten opponent, but also one between top contenders with both fighters being rated number two in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division in the World Boxing Council (WBC) (Munguia) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) (Bazinyan). What this can simply be summed up to for those who do not regularly follow the sport of Boxing, both fighters, at least in theory, were on the brink of fighting for a world title, which in Munguia’s case, means a potential second opportunity after coming up short against current unified world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez earlier this year. 

Although Bazinyan may not have been well-known to some, the Armenian-born, Canadian-based contender entered the bout with thirty-two victories in thirty-three professional fights, with the only negative coming in a draw in his last bout prior to facing Munguia. While this was his first bout against someone of Munguia's caliber in being a former world champion, who has competed near the top level of the sport for the last several years, Bazinyan also entered as the current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Super-Middleweight champion. 

Bazinyan showed immediately when he met Munguia at the Desert Diamond Arena that he was not awed by the occasion and was intent in making the most of his opportunity. What turned out to be a key part of his approach in doing that was a strategy with an emphasis on fundamentals. In that he kept things simple and did not try to over assert himself. The primary weapon was Bazinyan’s jab. Not just by simply throwing the jab for the sake of throwing it, but knowing when to throw it at the proper distance where it allowed him to offset Munguia's pressure, use lateral movement to try and maintain that distance, and occasionally mix in hooks to the head and body. 

What also stood out was the compact way in how Bazinyan threw his punches, either jabbing then moving or at most throwing two or three punches and not remaining stationary when he threw a hook or a straight right behind his jab. This along with being able to periodically lend counter punches on Munguia seemed to frustrate the former world champion. Though Munguia established he was the harder hitter when he was able to land his punches, particularly with his left hook, Bazinyan showed an ability to withstand those blows and return offense. 

Through the first four rounds, this observer gave three of those rounds to Bazinyan based on his ability to keep the combat limited to a tactical Boxing match, where he seemed to be out thinking Munguia. At the end of six rounds, I had Bazinyan up four rounds to two. It would be over the next four rounds, however, where Munguia started landing more and more to the body and head of Bazinyan. By the end of eight rounds, Munguia had pulled even with Bazinyan on my scorecard. Munguia’s rally and attack would make the issue of scoring in this fight moot. In the tenth round, a barrage of punches set off by a left hook to the head, battered the very “Game” Bazinyan down to the canvas. The effects of not only that barrage of unanswered punches, but seemingly the accumulation of punishment, ultimately would be too much for Bazinyan to overcome as he was unable to beat the count of ten, giving Munguia a hard-fought, but impressive knockout victory.

For Jaime Munguia, a fighter who built a reputation as a “Knockout Artist,” but has struggled to score consistent knockouts as he’s gone up in weight, this fight proved to be one that should serve as a confidence builder, especially when one considers that the knockout was something that did not come easily and he was coming off the first loss of his career. This should at minimum keep him in the discussion for a potential world championship fight. As for Erik Bazinyan, while he might drop a few slots in the Super-Middleweight rankings per this, his first loss in his career, his stock has definitely gone up in defeat and he will likely also remain in the discussion of top Super-Middleweight contenders that could end up fighting for a world championship at any point. It may simply come down to what opportunities are available and when that will determine where Munguia and Bazinyan go next.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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The Next Chapter For Jaime Munguia

Most Boxing fans are familiar with the rise a fighter goes through  from prospect, to contender status, to finally a world champion, along the way, also building a fan base. One subject this veteran Boxing scribe has made a point to cover over the many years I have covered the sport as well as other combat sports is a stage that many fans should also be familiar with. It is a stage that this observer has called “The Rebuild" in the past, some may call it a “Fresh Start," but it can also be referred to as "The Next Chapter.”

The latter might be the most appropriate of the aforementioned descriptions because all of the above can easily be used to describe former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia. A fighter who was truly dominant and scary as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight due to his punching power, Munguia chose to vacate his world championship 2019, choosing to seek greener pastures and more world championships, first in the 160lb. Middleweight division and then ultimately as a 168lb. Super-Middleweight. While he remained unbeaten as he moved up in weight, an opportunity to become a two-division world champion eluded him for several years. 

In May of this year, however, Munguia finally got that opportunity to both become a two-division world champion as well as a lucrative opportunity when he challenged then Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez in Las Vegas, NV. Although it was an opportunity Munguia had earned and seemingly chased after for years to face one of the biggest stars in the sport in Alvarez, Munguia was in many ways a background player in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career. This was due to the highly-publicized feud between Munguia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Alvarez. While once Alvarez and Munguia were promotional stablemates fighting under De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, the feud and legitimate dislike between Alvarez and De La Hoya, who had an ugly and public break up during the height of the COVID-19 epidemic, overshadowed what should have been, and frankly was an encounter between two of the biggest stars in the sport.

As for the fight itself, Munguia showed his mettle in getting up from the first knockdown of his career in the fourth round and putting in a “Game" effort in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Alvarez, the first loss of his career. Now, Munguia looks to get back to his winning ways when he faces undefeated contender and current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Super-Middleweight champion Erik Bazinyan On Friday, September 20th at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ in a fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

This fight not only represents a new chapter for Munguia in terms of trying to get back on track inside the ring, but will also be his first fight under a new promoter in the Hall of Famer Bob Arum, whom he recently signed a multi-fight deal with. While there is no indication of a bitter split between Munguia and De La Hoya as there was between the latter and Saul Alvarez, this will likely be an adjustment for Munguia after competing for much of his career fighting under De La Hoya’s banner, but one that is certainly not uncommon to see fighters do throughout their careers in switching promoters depending on both opportunities in the ring as well as the financial aspects that go along with it. 

In Erik Bazinyan, Munguia will face a seasoned professional fighter, who is unbeaten in thirty-three professional fights with thirty-two wins and twenty-two coming via knockout. Bazinyan, who will come into this fight off of a draw in his last bout in May against Shakeel Phinn, is rated highly in the top ten in the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO, with his highest rating being the number two ranking in the WBO Super-Middleweight ratings. While the ratings process is one that is always open to scrutiny and can be confusing to non-aficionados of the sport when one also factors in the various regional, international titles, and interim championship designations, to name a few, which are all designed to elevate a fighter’s position in the world rankings with an eye towards fighting for a world championship, what it means in this context is this is not a mere “Comeback Fight" for Munguia as Bazinyan is nearing mandatory challenger status and in some cases, is now higher rated than Munguia, depending on sanctioning organization per Munguia coming off of a loss in his last fight.

Furthermore, it means the winner of this flight could be in line to challenge for a world championship in their next fight. How will this fight be fought? Bazinyan is a well schooled boxer/puncher, who despite scoring knockouts in twenty-three of his fights registering a near 72% career knockout percentage, he is not viewed as the fighter with punching power here. What he could do is look to try and implement elements of what was successful for Alvarez against Munguia. Alvaraz, as he almost always does in his fights, implemented a tactical approach against Munguia, dictating how the fight was fought, beating him to the punch consistently, and out-working Munguia over twelve rounds. The challenge for Bazinyan will be to try and do something similar, which can be easier said than done due to the pressure Munguia usually applies on his opponents in addition to his punching power.

Although Munguia is certainly capable of ending a fight with either hand at any time if he connects flush, he looks to generally break his opponents down by applying pressure and cutting the ring off from his opponents. Depending on what Bazinyan’s tactics are from the outset, look for Munguia to apply pressure early and try to back Bazinyan up along the ropes. If this will indeed be the approach Munguia will try to implement, it's logical to think that a focus to establish an attack to Bazinyan’s body will be a focal point as he will try to limit his lateral movement while applying pressure.

A fairly high stakes encounter for both fighters with a lot on the line. While this is not the ideal scenario one would think of for a fighter coming off of a loss, it is a testament to the kind of fighter Jaime Munguia is that he has chosen to jump right back into the deep waters of the Super-Middleweight division rather than looking for an opponent that would be viewed as a soft touch to try and build his confidence back. Although there is a risk no matter what path a fighter takes, it is not a given that this chapter in Munguia’s career will begin with a bounce back win. Another loss for Munguia would not necessarily put his career in danger, but if he were to lose this fight, it will likely mean the rebuild process will be a longer one and might require a different approach and perhaps some retooling in terms of what is learned, polished, and refined in the gym as far as strategy and tactics. For now, one should not think too far ahead because what Jamie Mungia will look like coming off of the first loss of his career as well as what happens in this fight will obviously play a factor in what may or may not follow. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Munguia vs. Bazinyan takes place on Friday, September 20th at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:45PM ET/2:45PM PT. 

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com.

(*Card and Start time Subject to Change.*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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Bazinyan Defeats Fox To Retain North American Championships In Montreal

Undefeated Super-Middleweight contender Erik Bazinyan scored a hard fought ten round majority decision over longtime contender Alantez Fox to retain his North American Boxing Federation (NABF) and North American Boxing Association (NABA) Super-Middleweight titles on Thursday night at Casino Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Despite the fight being fought in a small 16X16 ring, which is tailor-made for power punchers, Alantez Fox was able to make the fight competitive using his lateral movement to try and stay in the center of the ring and attempt to use his longer reach to keep Bazinyan at distance. This strategy did appear to work for Fox through several of the early rounds as even though Bazinyan was able to find a home periodically for his power punches, notably his right hand, it appeared as though it was Fox who was dictating the combat. 

As the fight progressed however, the pressure as well as the harder punches of Bazinyan began to wilt Fox’s movement. In round seven, Bazinyan connected with a flush overhand right, followed by a left hook to the jaw that appeared to have Fox in trouble, but he was able to survive the round. By the tenth and final round of the regional championship bout, Fox was fighting the effects of what had been a grueling clash of styles. Bazinyan responded by producing arguably his best round of the fight as he frequently had Fox in trouble and looking to hang on, which he did until the final bell. Official scores were: 95-95 (Even) and 98-92 (On two scorecards) resulting in Bazinyan retaining his North American championships via majority decision. Erik Bazinyan advances to 29-0, with 21 Knockouts. Alantez Fox falls to 28-4-1, with 13 Knockouts. 

Also on this card: 

In a shocker Jr. Welterweight Gabriel Valenzuela scored a first round knockout of former NABF Jr. Welterweight champion Yves Ulysse. A left uppercut to the body dropped Ulysse hard in the middle of the ring. Ulysse was very “Game” and tried to get up, but he could not get his legs under him and the bout was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was :52 of round one. Gabriel Valenzuela advances to 26-3-1, with 16 Knockouts. Yves Ulysse falls to 22-3, with 12 Knockouts. 

Unbeaten Middleweight Alexandre Gaumont scored a first round knockout of Carlos Montijo. Gaumont had a bit of trouble for a time getting through the high defensive guard of Montijo. This changed when he connected with a flush right uppercut to the head that split the guard followed by a left hook to the temple that sent Montijo down. Montijo did get to his feet following the knockdown, but was clearly disoriented and ended up going back down to the canvas resulting in the fight being stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 2:26 of round one. Alexandre Gaumont advances to 7-0, with 5 Knockouts. Carlos Montijo falls to 8-5, with 6 Knockouts.

In a clash of undefeated Welterweights, Christopher Guerrero scored a third round knockout of previously unbeaten Edwin Flores. Guerrero timed his shots from the opening bell and did not face much resistance from Flores. In the third round a double left hook to the body sent Flores down. Following Flores getting up, he attempted to throw a hook at Guerrero, but knocked himself off balance and was dropped by a counter left hook to the head for his trouble. Guerrero would close the show by sending the overmatched Flores down for the third and final time with a barrage of punches to secure the knockout victory. Official time of the stoppage was 2:49 of round three. Christopher Guerrero advances to 6-0, with 2 Knockouts. Edwin Flores falls to 3-1-1, with 3 Knockouts.

Unbeaten Jr. Lightweight Avery Martin-Duval scored a third round stoppage of Eduardo Garcia. Martin Duval spent most of the fight controlling the combat at a distance, ducking under Garcia’s punches, and countering effectively. A counter right hand dropped Garcia midway through the third round. Although Garcia was able to get up, the bout was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 1:51 of round three. Avery Martin-Duval advances to 9-0-1, with 5 Knockouts. Eduardo Garcia falls to 7-2-1, with 2 Knockouts. 

Super-Middleweight Wilkens Mathie began the evening by making his professional debut in scoring a first round knockout of previously unbeaten Zsolt Birkas. From the start of the bout, Mathie used excellent timing and precision punching to score three knockdowns of Birkas to get the knockout victory. Official time of the stoppage was 2:49 of round one. Wilkens Mathie advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Zsolt Birkas falls to 0-1-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Ultimately, this card, which was promoted by Camille Estephan’s  Eye of the Tiger Management served as a showcase for several of the prospects in the Eye of the Tiger stable, but still also produced an upside in Yves Ulysse falling in the first round to Gabriel Valenzuela, which could well lead to Ulysse retiring from competition as he eluded to prior to the fight. As for Erik Bazinyan, he entered his fight against Alantez Fox rated in the top ten in all five world sanctioning organizations. His victory over Fox will likely move him up the ladder of contention for a world championship. Whether or not after twenty-nine straight wins, Bazinyan is ready to face the top contenders and world champion in the Super-Middleweight division in Undisputed world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez remains to be seen. The time has at least come for him and his team to test the waters.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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