Via Jim Calfa: Jaime Munguia and Jimmy ‘Kilrain’ Kelly will meet for the main event on June 11 at the Hoda Center in Anaheim, California.
ESPN MX is reporting on former WBO middleweight champion Munguia (39-0.31 KOs) taking on 160-pound WBO 8th-placer Kelly Kelly (26-2, 10 KOs) on DAZN.
British boxer Kelly defeated Kanat Islam by a 10-round majority decision three months ago on February 25 in Plant City, Florida.
The win for Kelly is his third straight win since losing to the Australian Dennis Hogan by an improper 12-round unanimous decision in April 2018.
The way Hogan made it so easy to write to Kelly was troubling. Hogan is the fighter that both Tim Tszyu and Jermall Charlo defeated.
It was a fine win for Kelly, who was knocked out in the seventh round in 2015 when he challenged then-WBO middleweight champion Liam Smith for the title.
In picking him up against 29-year-old fringe contender Kelly, who is from the UK, Munguia’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions are continuing to play it safe with him.
Fighting Munguia against Kelly won’t prepare him for any of the 160 lb detachment’s killers, not that the Golden Boy is under the illusion that he can beat any top dog.
At this point, it’s pretty clear that Munguia will never be up against Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Janibek Alimkhanuly or Erislandy Lara.
The one they want Munguia is IBF/WBA middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin because this is a match that brings in a lot of money for Jaime.
At 40, Golovkin is good enough that Munguia can use his old age to defeat him, which could lead to another worthy bid against him or possibly Canelo Alvarez.
If the Golden Boy is holding Munguia, waiting for a tit-for-tat fight with Golovkin, you can see why they’re going up against him against his entire nine-year professional career.
Still, it’s disappointing at this point, to see Munguia wasted when he’s faced with such fearsome opposition.
Oscar De La Hoya needed to let Munguia take on one of the top middleweight contenders in a sink and swim bout. If he loses, he will at least have a chance to learn from the fight. That’s what he needs at the moment.
The 25-year-old Munguia had the chance to fight for world titles and against top contenders, but that didn’t happen. He was not put in positions where he could prove himself.
If Oscar waited for the perfect situation for Munguia to easily claim the 160 belt, it might never have come before him. Even if that happens, his chances of holding onto the title for any length of time are slim.
There are too many solid middleweight contenders in the league that will focus on Munguia, especially given the fact that he wasn’t included in the bout schooling where he had the opportunity to grow as a boxer.
“Former world champion Jaime Munguía will return to the ring this June 11 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, to face Jimmy ‘Kilrain’ Kelly of England, according to sources close to the organizers. events,” said Salvador Rodriguez. ESPN MX.
Munguia wins in middle class
D’Mitrius Ballard – TKO 3
Gabriel Rosado – 12 years old UD
Kamil Szeremeta – RTD 6
Tureano Johnson – RTD 6
Gary O’Sullivan – TKO 11
