Jaime Munguia has already achieved his goal of winning a world title at 154 pounds.
Now he’s on the path to become a two-time world champion.
On Saturday afternoon, the 160-pound Munguia, whose 36-0 record with 29 knockouts has helped him build a strong following among fans in his native Mexico and the United States, hopes to solidify his stance as a middleweight to be reckoned with when he faces former title challenger Kamil Szeremeta in a 12-round fight. The fight serves as the main event on the DAZN streaming service.
“I’ve been boxing since I could remember. My father Jaime Sr. took me to the gym,” said Munguia, 24 and a native of Tijuana. “I love the sport. I watched and tried to learn from all the greats, Julio Cesar Chavez, Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, I look at many of them and try to see how they did it. “
Munguia is currently learning from another great, fellow Mexican and Tijuana native, Erik Morales. Morales is a former world champion in the lower weight classes and is known for his fierce battles with Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao.
“With Erik Morales on our team, we have a great relationship,” Munguia said. “It’s been great working with him, he had a great career as a fighter. As I got to know the history of his career, he was a wonderful fighter, a true champion. We’ve worked well together. He pushes me to get better.”
Munguia became a name in the sport on May 12, 2018 when he stopped Sadam Ali to claim the World Boxing Organization junior middleweight crown. He subsequently made five title defenses, including wins against Liam Smith and Takeshi Inoue.
“Winning a world title at 154 was a great feeling, meant so much to me. The hard work paid off, it took lots of preparation,” Munguia said.
Munguia’s time at 154 was over after defeating Patrick Allotey in September of 2019. In two fights at 160, Munguia is 2-0 with both fights in 2020. Saturday’s fight will be his first of the year.
