Highly rated middleweight contender Jaime Munguia 41-0 (33) has earned himself a world title shot against WBO 160-pound champion Janibek ‘Qazaq Style’ Alimkhanuly 13-0 (8) following his third round knockout against Gonzalo ‘El Mago’ Coria 21-6 (8) at the Arena Astros in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday night.
Mexican Munguia, 26, battered the little-known Argentinean Coria around the ring, dropping him in the second round and finishing him off with a body shot in the third. The time of the stoppage was 2:32.
The undefeated former WBO junior middleweight champion Munguia, who made five successful defences of the 154-pound strap he won against Sadam Ali in 2018 before moving up in weight, called out WBC titleholder Jermall Charlo 32-0 (22) and WBA and IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin 42-2-1 (37) in the wake of his victory.
“This year we couldn’t do Charlo,” said Munguia, who is ranked number one by the WBO, number two by the WBC and number three by both the WBA and IBF. “Hopefully we can do it next year. I know GGG has no compromise. He’s signed with nobody and I would love to meet him in May. Golovkin! See you in May!”
But Munguia’s shot at a world title in a second weight class may well come via a different route.
The WBO has ordered Munguia’s team to commence discussions with newly crowned beltholder Alimkhanuly for the Puerto Rican sanctioning body’s belt.
“Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee orders the parties herein to commence the negotiations for the above-referenced bout between Jaime Munguia and [Janibek] Alimkhanuly,” Luis Batista-Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee wrote to both camps. “The parties are granted 15 days to reach an agreement.”
Alimkhanuly, a 29-year-old southpaw from Kazakhstan, claimed the WBO strap with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Denzel Bentley 17-2-1 (14) at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 12. Judges Tim Cheatham and Dave Moretti both scored the bout 116-112. Judge Steve Weisfeld had it slightly wider at 118-110.