Latest news with #JaimeMunguia
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Canelo vs Scull: Who is Bruno Surace? Meet the man who knocked out Jaime Munguia
Jaime Munguia returns to the ring on the 3rd of May on the Canelo-Scull undercard with the hopes of exacting revenge on Bruno 'Brunello' Surace. The Mexican had his plans of rebuilding to a world title challenge derailed by the relative unknown Surace in December, who finished the year by producing the 2024 Ring Upset of the Year by knocking out Munguia in the sixth round. With an immediate rematch, Surace has the opportunity to confirm his place in the world rankings and prove his victory was no miracle. Who is Bruno Surace? Name: Bruno Surace Age: 26 Record: 26-0-2 (5 KOs) Rounds: 171 Height: 6' 0' Stance: Orthodox History Surace, born in Marseille, made his professional debut in 2016 at super welterweight where he composed a record of 8-0-2 without a single knockout. A move up to middleweight saw him score the first of his five career knockouts in 2018. He continued unbeaten and claimed the French middleweight title in 2021.'Brunello' made slow progress through the rankings and claimed his biggest victory in 2023 in capturing the EBU Silver middleweight championship. After a year layoff from the ring, Surace got the call to replace Ronald Gavril and fight Munguia. This was his first fight outside of France and he came in as the heavy underdog against the former WBO super welterweight champion who was now a top-ranked super middleweight. It was expected that Munguia would make easy work of the Frenchman in a homecoming fight in Tijuana, Mexico. However, Surace explained that he was not intimidated by the occasion or the hostile crowd and that the only thing in his mind was how this fight could change the trajectory of his career. 'I knew this fight could change my life,' 'Brunello' said to BoxingScene. 'So, when I threw a punch, I kept it in mind that it could change my life, so I was 100 per cent focused and motivated by that.' Come fight night, it looked as though Munguia was going to get an early stoppage, dropping Surace with a powerful left hook and controlling the action thereafter. But the man from Marseille hung in and when he saw his opportunity, he pounced with a right hand that flattened Munguia. 'I didn't realise when I threw my punch,' Surace explained to BoxingScene. 'But when I saw him fall, I saw his eyes, and he didn't get up. And I knew he wouldn't get up.' Surace's stock skyrocketed, seeing him rise to number five ranked at super middleweight by the IBF and WBO. He maintains that he is a natural middleweight but would not write off any opportunities at super middleweight that may come his way.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Munguia-Surace II: Is the immediate rematch a good idea?
Jaime Munguia is out for revenge this weekend against Bruno Surace - as chief support for the Canelo vs Scull undisputed showdown in Riyadh on Saturday. What happened in the first fight? The pair fought at the end of the last year, but the Mexican suffered an upset loss to the unknown Surace (26-0-2), who was brought in for a homecoming show for Munguia (44-2). Surace had never fought outside of France before he faced Munguia in Tijuana, Mexico and of his previous 25 wins, 'Brunello' only had four knockouts. The Frenchman was expected to be nothing more than a tune-up fight for Munguia and it looked to be going to the script when Surace was dropped by a left hook in the second round. But a momentary lapse in concentration in the sixth from the former WBO super welterweight champion allowed Surace to land a heavy one-two combination and knock Munguia out. Why an immediate rematch? The decision to trigger an immediate rematch suggests a desire from Munguia and his team to re-establish some momentum and repair the damage as quickly as possible. Lose again, and his days as a top-tier contender could be over. Win, and the first fight becomes a detour in career otherwise only blemished by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. Urgency, however, is not always the best course of action. Especially when it comes to a man that has just knocked you out. Jumping back in with Surace after just five months carries serious risk. Examples of other immediate rematches that have ended in a repeat of the first are: Haye vs Bellew, Holyfield vs Tyson and Froch vs Groves. On the other side of the coin, for Surace, the rematch is a golden opportunity to prove his breakout win was no fluke. He will enter with more confidence, more eyes on him, and a blueprint that clearly worked once. If Munguia has not made serious adjustments — technically and mentally — he risks compounding the damage. A new training camp Munguia has made a big change coming into the rematch with Surace. He has chosen to part ways with his Hall of Fame trainer Erik Morales and has handed over control of his development to Canelo's trainer Eddie Reynoso. 'The change in training camp has been really good,' Munguia told The Ring via a translator. 'They have been really good to me and my surroundings. We are working on pretty much everything – on defence and offense. "Working alongside on of the best fighters in the world makes you push harder. You learn lots of stuff just by watching Canelo. "You need to grow and find someone to push you, and I think it's been the right decision to go with Eddy.' Munguia steps into the rematch with more urgency and a new team, but Surace brings confidence and history. Whether this is a comeback or confirmation remains to be seen on fight night in Riyadh.
