Jaime Munguia vs John Ryder Preview, Date, & Undercard

Jaime Munguia(42-0, 33KOs) and John Ryder(32-6, 18KOs) are set to face each other in a 12 round super-middleweight scrap on Saturday in Pheonix, Arizona for Munguia’s WBC Silver title. Neither men’s careers have had a single boring night in the ring and this one has all the ingredients of a full on firefight to remember. Both have a come forward style, are physically strong, and have shown that they have great chins, stamina, and most of all heart. It’s very early for such a prediction, but it would not be a surprise if this one ended up as Fight-Of-The-Year.

The last time we saw Munguia it was his first bout at super-middleweight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. It was action-packed and a memorable battle with both men being hurt and having to dig deep. It ended in a close but unanimous decision, thanks to a knockdown scored for Munguia from a body shot in the 12th . Though Derevyanchenko was a middleweight moving up himself, it appeared as if Jaime would be able to fill out into the weight class just fine, though his real test will come this Saturday against a true super-middleweight in Ryder.

Last we saw of “the Gorilla” Ryder was an all action battle as well, only this was against super-middleweight king, Canelo Alvarez. As is typical in a Ryder fight he was an underdog going in but was a handful for the favorite and never relented for a moment, fighting through a knockdown and a broken nose. This one ended in a wide UD to Canelo, but Ryder showed every bit of heart he had that night and didn’t make a single round easy.

When comparing resumes there are a few things separating Munguia and Ryder. Munguia, for one, is undefeated in 42 fights. A very impressive stat to be sure. John Ryder has taken 6 defeats throughout the course of his 38 fight career. But when it comes to fighting champions with name recognition, Ryder pulls ahead by a long shot. Not only had he recently fought the superstar Canelo, He’s also mixed it up with the likes of Callum Smith, Danny Jacobs, Rocky Fielding, and Zach Parker, all champions at one point or another. In all of those fights he came in as an underdog, won two of them(Jacobs and Parker) and lost two(Smith and Fielding) though those two losses were highly disputed and one could see all four as victories, though not officially. The biggest name on Munguia’s record is Gabe Rosado followed by Derevyanchenko. Rosado is not an easy night for anyone and deserves the utmost respect for what he accomplished in his career, that said Rosado made his name in the sport by fighting everyone, not by beating everyone. After those two Liam Smith and Sadam Ali also fell to Munguia, though that was at 154 lbs, a time when Jaime was massive compared to his foes. This isn’t meant to diminish Munguia’s career at all, just to compare him and Ryder. Though watching his career has been frustrating in the past, he is still on the younger side and his most recent victory paired with this fight coming up are indicators that Munguia will be seeking bigger names, challenges, and accomplishments going forward.

Style-wise they are relatively similar, which is what makes this match-up so promising for fans. They are both power-boxers that utilize their strength and neither like taking steps backwards. Their stamina is their greatest strength, staying offensively productive from start to finish, wearing opponents down gradually if a big shot doesn’t come early. There’s no doubt that both can take a punch, as neither are known for defensive prowess. Yet another promising similarity for these men is that on the rare occasion that they do get rocked, they both opt to fighting their way out of it. Throwing punches as opposed to clinching. 

Where they differ is the distance at which they prefer to let their hands go. Notice the word prefer, both have and will throw at any distance. Ryder, typically the shorter man, likes to stick his head in his opponent’s chest and lets loose at close range, pushing them backwards with the intent to make them uncomfortable and hide his bigger shots. Munguia is more of a mid-range fighter. Making sure he keeps his opponent at the end of his punch trajectory while still maintaining as much torque in his shots as possible. One style does not have any inherent advantage, it will most likely come down to who can keep the distance they want, and who’s footwork is better on the night. That said, the mind races with possibilities of how this will play out.

As with all great matches, there are many factors to consider of course. Perhaps Jaime Munguia at 27 is the fresher fighter, though he does have more professional fights. But at 35, John Ryder has shown no signs of slowing down thus far. Maybe size will indeed be a factor, allowing “the Gorilla” to overpower the smaller man, but Jaime has only gotten stronger with every outing. When all is said and done, Saturday will be the day we find out who, if either, will come out on top. At this point the victor may not even matter. If this fight goes as expected, both men will accomplish something they can be proud of, and perhaps gain even more fans, respect, and notoriety along the way.