The first all-Mexican matchup for a major world title at any weight above 160 pounds will take place on Saturday night when Canelo Alvarez faces Jaime Munguia with the undisputed super middleweight titles at stake. Alvarez refused to fight a fellow Mexican boxer for seven years, with the last occurrence being a win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2017. He will make an exception on Saturday night in Las Vegas as he defends his IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO titles. Alvarez has won three straight fights by unanimous decision since losing to Dmitrii Bivol in 2022, which is just one of two losses on his resume.
Saturday's main card at T-Mobile Arena is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET, with Canelo vs. Munguia headlining the slate later in the evening. Alvarez is a -400 favorite (risk $400 to win $100) and Munguia is the +300 underdog in the Alvarez vs. Munguia odds, while the over/under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the Over shaded to -200. Before locking in any Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia picks, make sure you see the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Peter Kahn.
Kahn is a true boxing insider who has his finger on the pulse of what's going on inside and outside of the ring. He has managed numerous world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. Kahn won the 2022 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D'Amato Manager of the Year award and was named to the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Kahn is uncanny when it comes to picking fights. He is an astounding 50-13 on his last 63 SportsLine boxing picks, returning more than $4,000 to $100 bettors. His notable wins include telling SportsLine members to back underdog Ryan Garcia (+500) against previously unbeaten super lightweight champion Devin Haney (-700) in their blockbuster fight in April. Anyone who has followed him has already seen massive returns.
Now, with Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia on deck, Kahn has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident picks for the fight. You can only see those picks at SportsLine.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia preview
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) hasn't faced a fellow Mexican in the boxing ring since taking on Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. in May 2017, a fight Alvarez won by unanimous decision. Although Chavez Jr. was once the WBC middleweight champion, his loss to Alvarez sparked a tailspin in his career that saw him lose three of his next four, including a defeat against former UFC champion Anderson Silva.
Alvarez has stated that he has purposely avoided Mexican opponents because he didn't want to risk interfering with their careers and, as a byproduct, leave the sport with fewer Mexican stars and champions.
However, he made an exception with Munguia because Munguia's career is already so distinguished that his career and legacy can't be tainted by a loss Saturday. What's more, Munguia's accomplishments have motivated Alvarez to view their fight as a celebration of Mexico's strong boxing tradition and use their fight as a platform to reward fans with a memorable show.
"Yes, I've said I don't want to fight Mexican fighters," Álvarez said Tuesday in a news conference. "But someone respectful like Munguía, someone who has earned this fight, it's something that I'm glad we were able to make happen. This is a great source of pride for me because it's Mexico all over."
Munguia enters this bout with a perfect 43-0 record after beating John Ryder in a super middleweight fight earlier this year in Phoenix. He tallied four knockdowns before ultimately winning via TKO in the ninth round. That win will give him some confidence, as Ryder took Alvarez the distance last year.
This will be Munguia's third career fight at this weight class and his sixth world championship bout. He is 5-0-0 with two knockouts in his previous world championship bouts, and he is 2-0-0 with one knockout against former or current world champions. The 27-year-old has won four of his last five fights by TKO or KO, with eight of his last 10 bouts having not gone the distance. See who to back here.
How to make Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia picks
We can share that Kahn likes the Under 10.5 rounds. He's also locked in a method-of-victory prop and a confident money-line pick. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia, and which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn's best bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a profit of more than $4,000, and find out.
