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Ex-champ Jaime Munguia books fourth fight of 2024
Mexican boxing star Jaime Munguia is set to make his fourth appearance of 2024.
Munguia (44-1, 35 KOs) clashes with the little-known Bruno Surace (25-0-2, 4 KOs) atop the bill of a Top Rank card on Dec. 14 at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, the promotion announced Friday.
The former WBO junior middleweight champion, Munguia began 2024 with the best win of his professional career, a ninth-round stoppage of Britain's John Ryder in Phoenix. Ryder just nine months prior had extended Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to 12 rounds, but the 28-year-old Munguia then bettered Alvarez's win over Ryder, which earned him his own shot at boxing's biggest star.
Munguia recovered from a fourth-round knockdown to lose a competitive decision to Alvarez in May in Las Vegas. In the aftermath of the defeat, Munguia signed with Bob Arum's Top Rank although, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy — Munguia's previous promoters — claim to still be involved in his career.
Munguia rebounded with a 10th-round knockout of undefeated Canadian Erik Bazinyan in September and now will fight for the fourth time in 2024 when he meets the unbeaten Frenchman.
Surace's year has been the polar opposite of Munguia's — he hasn't fought at all. "Brunello" was last seen in the ring in December 2023, claiming a final-round stoppage over then-unbeaten Jhon Jader Obregon to win the EBU silver title at middleweight. Surace has only been scheduled for three fights where a regional/trinket championship was on the line; all three were at middleweight, so he will be giving up experience and size to Munguia on Dec. 14.
Munguia stated in his post-fight interview after his September win over Bazinyan that he is targeting two names for major fights in 2025 — a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown with Edgar Berlanga, or a colossal battle with former super middleweight champion Caleb Plant. Munguia, Berlanga and Plant are all former opponents of Alvarez's.
Top Rank also promotes 168-pound contender Christian Mbilli, which presents another option for Munguia in 2025.
