The face of boxing returns to the ring for Cinco de Mayo weekend as Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez defends his crown as the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world against the undefeated stud Jaime Munguia.
The two Mexican technicians will go toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring at 168-pounds in order to prove who the best in the world is, with Canelo keen to prove he is still the man to beat in the sport while Munguia looks to usher in a new era.
We'll take a look at the match-up between the two world-class boxers and see if we can earn you some extra cash while you watch the action with our best free boxing betting picks.
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Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Jaime Munguia information
- Saturday, May 4th 2024
- T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Super Middleweight division (168 pounds)
- 3 x 12 minute rounds
- Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Jaime Munguia odds
- Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez - (-550)
- Jaime Munguia - (+425)
This fight is sure to be an exciting one, with many people considering this to be a real test of where Canelo is in his career at this point following his dominant showing over Jermell Charlo last time out.
The Mexican has won his last three fights on the bounce via unanimous decision, dominating against both Gennady Golovkin and then John Ryder prior to the Charlo fight, while he suffered a decision defeat to Dmitry Bivol when he tried to move up to light heavyweight in his previous outing before those bouts.
Prior to that he was on an eight-fight win streak including knockout wins over Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders and Avni Yildirim, and he wants to silence critics who say he may be losing his power as he goes up the weight classes.
Canelo's professional record now stands at 60-2-2 with 39 knockouts and he has opened as the favorite, coming in with a price of -550 meaning you have to bet $550 to get a return of $100.
His opponent will be Jaime Munguia, who has a professional record of 43-0 with 34 knockouts, including stoppage wins in four of his last five bouts.
"The Demolisher of Tijuana" claimed knockout wins over D'Mitrius Ballard, Jimmy Kelly and Gonzalo Gaston Coria all within five rounds, before a unanimous decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko saw him win the vacant WBC Silver Super Middleweight title.
Last time out in January he claimed a sensational ninth round knockout win over John Ryder to retain that belt and setup this mega-clash with Canelo. With a best price of +425, you would earn $425 for every $100 you bet if he claims the victory.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Jaime Munguia preview
At 33 years old Canelo has otherworldly experience with 64 professional fights, and world championship calibre names on his resume since he fought Shane Mosley way back in 2012, which makes him such a dominant champion.
Alvarez is an intelligent fighter, happy to stay patient for a few rounds as he feels out his opponent's methods and makes his reads. He's also incredibly adaptable which makes him hard to game plan for, as he is capable of switching his own plan mid-fight to take control if things aren't going his way.
Watch for Canelo to avoid an early storm from the challenger, and use his trademark body shots to wear his opponent out in the later rounds. But Munguia is someone who is always just looking for a fight, and his forward pressure and power could cause some real problems.
Munguia is always game for a dogfight. The 27-year-old throws caution to the wind and is happy to take a shot to give one back. While that's an admirable trait to have, it's not the smartest thing to do against a fighter as dangerous as Canelo.
His jab is good but his counter-strikes and power punching is where he is at his best, and his solid chin means that he is always a threat in an extended combination or exchange between the fighters.
If Munguia wants to get the win he has to make this an ugly fight, because if it's a technically clean boxing match then Alvarez should be far and away the favored fighter.
Boxing picks: Canelo Alvarez to dominate
This is most definitely Canelo Alvarez's fight to lose, because he is the more powerful fighter and also better technically.
But the method of the victory is open to debate because of the way that Munguia approaches fights and his lack of experience at the very highest level.
If the challenger decides to go to war with Canelo in the centre of the ring then there is every chance he gets knocked out, and nobody would be surprised whatsoever. But the champion hasn't knocked anyone out in almost three years with each of his last four fights going to a decision.
There is good value in the knockout, but the more likely outcome is for the champion to retain his title via the judge's scorecards.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
