Jaime Munguia has won the golden ticket and gets his chance to dethrone undisputed super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez this Cinco de Mayo weekend (May 4). Munguia may have won the raffle, but it is not the fight we all wanted to see.
David Benavidez secured his status as the No. 1 challenger with wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade last year, but this was not enough to give him a shot at Canelo’s crown.
One man who knows Alvarez better than most is Austin Trout after the Mexican won his WBA light middleweight title over 12-rounds in 2013. Trout believes that Canelo’s title defense against Munguia should be a routine operation but it's not the fight he was hoping for.
“He [Canelo] should probably knock Munguia out,” said Trout. “It’s going to be an exciting fight whilst it lasts but I think Canelo should probably blast Munguia. But nonetheless, that's not the fight we want to see. We're trying to see Benavidez and Canelo. Nobody asked for Munguia vs Canelo.”
Trout was asked if he thinks the undisputed champion is avoiding his number one challenger, Benavidez, and believes that the undefeated fighter could get the better of Alvarez if the two fought.
“It sure does seem like that [Canelo avoiding Benavidez], and that’s not Canelo’s style,” added Trout. “There’s so many questions. I think Benavidez can take it. He's young, he's hungry, and the only reason why I say that he would edge Canelo out is because Canelo just ain't as hungry anymore.
“The only thing that is missing is that hunger, he was hungry to be the best Mexican fighter ever, he was hungry to be the face of boxing – he did that. I'm not sure what he's hungry for now. Maybe continue his legacy and make money? I don't know. That's the only difference, he works hard, he still trains hard, I think he stays in shape. So, the ability and the time he puts in is not lacking. I just think the hunger is missing.”
Trout is also looking forward to the launch of season two of Team Combat League on March 28. The former champion is coaching Team Houston Hitman and will be hoping to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of fighters.
Link - https://teamcombatleague.com/
