Jamie Munguia vs. Gabriel Rosado: Boxing’s Mexico-Puerto Rico Rivalry Heats Up Mexico vs. Puerto Rico owns a historic rivalry in the boxing world, and on Saturday, November 13, the two countries will showcase their top middleweight talent.
The WBO Intercontinental Middleweight championship will be up for grabs when Jamie Munguia (37-0, 30 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, puts his unblemished pro record and title on the line versus Gabriel Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) of Philadelphia, Penn.
Fight fans and critics alike are expecting a 12-round ‘Fight of the Year’ contender to stem from this matchup, and the Chairman, and CEO of Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, agrees. “This fight will be full of non-stop action. It will be a war that fight fans will enjoy and a new exciting chapter in the classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry,” De La Hoya said.
The Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry stems from 1934, when Puerto Rico’s first-ever world champions claimed their titles by defeating Mexican fighters. 1934’s Sixto Escobar took the bantamweight crown when he knocked out Mexico’s Rodolfo Casanova.
Twenty-six years later, in 1960, Carlos Ortiz followed suit when he knocked out the Mexican light-welterweight champion Raymundo Torres.
Both Mexico and Puerto Rico are true powerhouses in the fighting game, and respectfully there is no bad blood spilt outside of the ring. Over the past few decades of professional boxing bouts, notable names such as Oscar De Le Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez have been involved in this rivalry and history-making fights had occurred when the respective countries collided.
Bookmakers worldwide take heavy betting action whenever Mexico and Puerto Rico battle in the ring, including the sports betting markets in Jersey that deliver some of the most excellent value for money odds. Since 2015, Puerto Rico has led the rivalry in World Championship fights with a 77-59-2 record, which avid bettors may want to consider.
Can Jamie Munguia get one back for Mexico? He’ll have a considerable challenge when faced with the Borinquen warrior “King” Gabriel Rosado. The Puerto Rican, Rosado, is coming off a highlight-reel knockout win over the former undefeated boxer Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev; it’s safe to say that “King” won’t be intimidated by Munguia’s unbeaten streak. The Philadelphia fighter of Puerto Rican descent is the older, more experienced fighter, and he’s faced some of the most reputable fighters in the division.
Jamie Munguia is a rising star; having already conquered the junior middleweight division with five title defenses, he’s stepped outside of the junior category to continue his dominant reign with confidence his unbeaten record can remain intact. Under the wings of Hall of Fame inductee Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Munguia’s climb in the ranks throughout the 160lb division looks promising.
Munguia and Rosado fought on the same fight card back in June 2021; both fighters displayed their knockout potential and finished their opponents third and sixth rounds, respectively.
@KingGabRosado tells @OHaraSports that experience will be key against Jamie Munguia. #boxing https://t.co/9qmBbrSPeS
— Bible of Boxing (@ringmagazine) October 20, 2021
Since Golden Boy Promotions booked the middleweight clash, the Mexican-Puerto Rican build-up has already begun, with a virtual press conference taking place to discuss and promote the upcoming bout.
“I think the last couple fights since I actually linked up with Freddie Roach, I think it shows. This is an improved Gabe Rosado. I have experience; I’m putting in the work.” Rosado said.
“Yes, my record is deceiving. I wasn’t the guy with the machine behind me, with the big promoters, big management behind me, so I often went into fights where the other guy was the favorite. And there have been fights that should have gone my way, where I got the shit-end of the stick. And it showed in the Danny Jacobs fight. I just saw that fight, and I was like, ‘wow, clearly I out-boxed him.’ But you know, that’s just the beauty of it, that the fans get to see it, and the fans at the end of the day can’t be fooled. I made a statement in my last fight, which I think will be Knockout of the Year. So, we’re excited about this Munguia fight.” He added.
The 24-year-old Mexican had his own outlook: “Yes, I won a world title at 24. But also, all these years I have gained a lot of experience. I feel like my boxing has improved, and we are ready for bigger challenges. After Rosado, there has been a lot of talk about a fight with Derevyanchenko, Jacobs, and Golovkin.” Munguia commented.
“This is going to be a fun night, a night full of punches. It will be a war. Everyone knows that Mexico vs Puerto Rico are always great fights. I honestly see a very motivated Gabe Rosada. He is strong and willing to give a good fight. I can assure you that we will leave everything in the ring and bring something great on fight night.”
Boxing fans can watch Jaime Munguia vs. Gabriel Rosado on Saturday, November 13, from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California or live on DAZN.
