Jaime Munguia vs. D'Mitrius Ballard | DAZN - February 19, 2022

[Bandog]

munguia win, i wont lie not been jaimes biggest fan through the years thought hogan beat him, tho i enjoy his fights ,he is never in a dull fight just thought he was very raw, but his win aganist Rosado impressed me not because i rate rosado amongst the top of the divison , cause i dont , but he handled a very experienced tough fighter well didnt lose his nut when ros started coming back into the fight late mid ,he showed he is improving still getting better adding to what he has work rate toughness

Why wouldn't Rosado be a top guy? He arguably beat Danny Jacobs. It didn't even look like Jacobs thought he won that fight. Even if you think Rosado is inconsistent, that was a great win for Munguia dominating him like Jacobs couldn't.

Rosado is tough, no doubt, but far from a top guy. I'd call him a stepping stone at this point. He's lost everytime he's stepped up although his opponents for the most part were top guys. He's lost about 1/2 of his last 15 or 16 fights. I didn't see the Jacobs fight but know he can be inconsistant.

[Bandog]

In my opinion, Munguia and Ryon Garcia of GBP are cut from the same mold. Great potential boxers but mentally weak. Time will tell if they prove me wrong.

[margaret thatcher]

ya hopefully they dont follow the boo boo andrade model of being a 34 year old who's hardly fought anyone

[Bandog]

ya hopefully they dont follow the boo boo andrade model of being a 34 year old who's hardly fought anyone

Still Trolling...

[Bandog]

ya hopefully they dont follow the boo boo andrade model of being a 34 year old who's hardly fought anyone

Still Trolling...

[margaret thatcher]

Just speaking truths. And you must like it enough not to have me on ignore my man

[apollo creed]

Mung is staying active and beat the best version of Rosado that beat Jacobs and Bektemir. If Mung would fight and beat GGG-Murata fight winner then Mung would be a very viable future opponent for Canelo.

[Ruthless-RKO]

D’Mitrius Ballard on Jaime Munguia fight: 'I've come to conquer the middleweight division'

Exclusive interview: D’Mitrius Ballard looks to make a huge statement at 160lbs against Mexico’s Jaime Munguia.

American fighter D'Mitrius Ballard has been dreaming of the moment to show why he’s a force to be reckoned with and now the time has come.

On February 19th - in a fight that will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN (except in Mexico) - he will face former Mexican champion Jaime Munguia. However, the only drawback is that it he will be travelling to his opponent's backyard, the Plaza de Toros in Tijuana, México.

"I know that the public will be against me, but I've fought in similar conditions. Not with that magnitude of Tijuana, but I have fought in San Antonio where the Mexicans support their favorite,” Ballard told DAZN News.

“I've tasted that, and even though I know it will be at a very different level, it's required of boxers to go to their opponents' country, beat them and take their belts. It's been proven throughout history, with Errol Spence, Andre Ward, even George Kambosos. I'm ready for the challenge.”

Ballard, who is also known as ‘Big Meech’, is excited about the opportunity. A win against Munguia would see the American take another step towards his goal of becoming a world champion.

He said: "In a lot of fights, I feel like I didn't get to show all the tools that I have, all the skills. I feel I am a complete fighter; I feel I can do anything, and Jaime Munguia is the perfect opponent for me to show my skills and bring out the talent I have.

"I'm preparing to be dominant, give a good performance over 12 rounds and if there is any chance to take it out of the judges' hands, I will definitely take advantage, but I'm also looking forward to going all 12 rounds and coming out victorious."

Boasting a 21-0-1 record, Ballard doesn’t feel any pressure when it comes to maintaining his unbeaten streak against an opponent who more often than not, finishes fighters inside the distance.

"The zero in my record, it's not pressure. This is from a boxer matter, a warrior, this is what we want to do, we want to face the best competition to prove we are the best and the only way to do that is to beat the best. That's the risk of war,” said the 28-year-old.

“Anything can happen in a boxing ring. We know the dangers, the risk of going into a ring and losing that zero on the record, getting knocked out or you can lose, so many things can happen but for me it's just motivation, it makes me very happy.

"I want to show them with this fight that I am elite, that I belong there. I’ve come to conquer the middleweight division.

“My biggest aspiration is to be champion in this division, to unify and then to be undisputed champion. Those are my dreams and aspirations and that night with Jaime Munguía I will begin that road."

[adislav123]

Mung is staying active and beat the best version of Rosado that beat Jacobs and Bektemir. If Mung would fight and beat GGG-Murata fight winner then Mung would be a very viable future opponent for Canelo.

would be, if the beefy mexican boxing messiah WOULD step down to 160 again.

which he will not do.

[adislav123]

ffs! how many boxers from light middle up to heavyweight are momentarily thinking they are a viable future canelo opponent?

it's like in 'dumb & dumber' when she tells him his chances with her are like 1 to 1 000 000!
'so there IS A CHANCE!


completely wasting their career in the process of delusionaly waiting for canelo to pay them a little fortune to fornicate them up. wake up!!

seriously. how many are in the delusional 'canelo mix'?

could 'somebody' dive into that, make a list maybe?

[tiny_acres]

ffs! how many boxers from light middle up to heavyweight are momentarily thinking they are a viable future canelo opponent?

it's like in 'dumb & dumber' when she tells him his chances with her are like 1 to 1 000 000!
'so there IS A CHANCE!


completely wasting their career in the process of delusionaly waiting for canelo to pay them a little fortune to fornicate them up. wake up!!

seriously. how many are in the delusional 'canelo mix'?

could 'somebody' dive into that, make a list maybe?

Reminds me of Amir Kahn waiting for either Floyd or Pacman.
Waste your career sitting on the sidelines

[margaret thatcher]

ya, dudes like andrade and so many of these super middles and light heavys be wasting away hoping for dat winning canelo lottery ticket

[apollo creed]

I hope Canelo plays them and let them waiting and aging. lol

[JxhDel.]

Useless fight, but at least Ballard is a fresh youngster.

[brilo33]

Why wouldn't Rosado be a top guy? He arguably beat Danny Jacobs. It didn't even look like Jacobs thought he won that fight. Even if you think Rosado is inconsistent, that was a great win for Munguia dominating him like Jacobs couldn't.

who has rosado beat in the top 20 , glen tapia is problay his best win

I guess you didn't watch the Jacobs fight then. Go watch that fight and get back to me.

ive seen it he lost , i thought he lost aswell. iam not disrespecting him i like him as a fighter , and jacobs is at the end of his career now this fightnow with ryder could be his last , if it was 5 years back i would agree

[Mexi-Box]

who has rosado beat in the top 20 , glen tapia is problay his best win

I guess you didn't watch the Jacobs fight then. Go watch that fight and get back to me.

ive seen it he lost , i thought he lost aswell. iam not disrespecting him i like him as a fighter , and jacobs is at the end of his career now this fightnow with ryder could be his last , if it was 5 years back i would agree

Not even Jacobs thought he won that one.

The amount of mental hoops there.

[brilo33]

I guess you didn't watch the Jacobs fight then. Go watch that fight and get back to me.

ive seen it he lost , i thought he lost aswell. iam not disrespecting him i like him as a fighter , and jacobs is at the end of his career now this fightnow with ryder could be his last , if it was 5 years back i would agree

Not even Jacobs thought he won that one.

The amount of mental hoops there.

he took to long to get in to the fight, tho i think that cost him, even so danny aint a top fighter no more few years ago years, if he was fighting john ryder 2 years a go i expected john to do him, but no one has had a fights , i like rosado iam forgetting what were talking about

[Ruthless-RKO]

“We are aiming for 22,000-23,000 fans,” revealed Fernando Beltran, head of Zanfer Boxing and Munguia’s career-long promoter. “We are confident of drawing a crowd of that size. It is going to be an amazing turnout and an incredible event.

“We hope this fight plants the seed for networks to return here as they have in the past. This is our chance to prove that staging events on the border in Tijuana can attract fans from Southern California. It’s a great city, a great economy. Fans from both sides of the border can easily attend.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Felix Alvarado Voluntary Title Defense Falls Through, No Longer On Munguia-Ballard DAZN Show

Plans to get Felix Alvarado in the ring this month have been met with resistance.

Boxing Scene has learned that the IBF junior flyweight titlist is no longer in the mix to land on the February 19 DAZN show in Tijuana, Mexico. Alvarado was aiming to make the second defense of his title versus Mexico’s Erick Lopez in a voluntary defense. The request was rejected by the IBF since his mandatory is due along with the issue of Lope not currently ranked by the sanctioning body.

The rest of the February 19 show moves forward, with former WBO junior middleweight titlist and local hero Jaime Munguia (38-0, 30KOs) facing D’Mitrius Ballard (21-0-1, 13KOs) in a battle of middleweight contenders.

Alvarado is now left without a fight and not much in the way of a favorable option. His current mandatory challenger is Sive ‘Special One’ Nontshinga (10-0, 9KOs), who hails from Eastern Cape, South Africa. Such a fight would be dictated by how soon a deal can be reached and, of course, sorting out the travel to get Nontshinga to North America.

Such obstacles were precisely why Alvarado (37-2, 32KOs) sought a stay-busy fight in the form of a voluntary defense. Instead, the streaking 32-year-old Nicaraguan—who has won 19 in a row, all but two inside the distance—has to accept a second straight cancellation with Lopez. The two were due to fight on the undercard of an August 14 DAZN show headlined by Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18KOs) in Frisco, Texas. Alvarado was left without an opponent when Lopez (16-5-1, 10KOs) withdrew roughly two weeks out from fight night.

Alvarado was forced to settle for a non-title fight versus Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s Israel Vazquez (10-5-2, 7KOs), whom he blasted out inside of one round. The fight was his second of 2021, having made the second defense of his title in a dominant tenth-round stoppage of former strawweight titlist DeeJay Kriel last January 2 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Alvarado has held the IBF junior flyweight title since an eighth-round stoppage of Randy Petalcorin in their October 2018 vacant title fight on the road in Pasay City, Philippines. Another road trip came in his first title defense, a May 2019 twelve-round decision of Reiya Konishi in his challenger’s true hometown of Kobe, Japan.

The lone two losses of Alvarado’s career came in back-to-back title fights, both in his opponents’ hometown. Alvarado dropped a twelve-round decision to then-unbeaten Kazuto Ioka in their 2013 New Year’s Eve WBA junior flyweight in Osaka, Japan. Less than six months later came a twelve-round decision to Argentina’s Juan Carlos Reveco with the same WBA 108-pound title at stake in their June 2014 clash in Benavidez, Argentina.

Alvarado’s current title reign carried a 13-plus month overlap with twin brother Rene Alvarado, who held the WBA “World” junior lightweight title from November 2019 to January 2021. Rene lost the belt to Roger Gutierrez in their rematch on the same January 2021 show that saw Felix defeat Kriel. The twins also appeared on the same DAZN show last August in Frisco, with Rene once again losing to Gutierrez one fight after Felix’s knockout of Vazquez.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard Press Release

Mexico’s undefeated rising star, William “Camaron” Zepeda (24-0, 22 KOs) of San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, returns to the ring on February 19 against Luis “Bofo” Viedas (29-11-1, 10 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico. The 10-round lightweight fight will serve as the co-main event for Munguia vs. Ballard and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN from the iconic Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana.

Also on the fight card and part of the DAZN broadcast, undefeated Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza (17-0, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico, is set to face Alie “Demolition Man” Laurel (18-6-1, 11 KOs) of Manila, Philippines in a 10-round featherweight event. Opening the DAZN broadcasts, Diego “Azabache” Torres Nunez (13-0, 13 KOs) from Zapopan, Mexico, will be looking to continue his undefeated and perfect KO record when he faces fellow countryman Jonathan “Perita” Escobedo Martinez (8-2-1, 2 KOs) in an 8-round super lightweight fight.

“I feel very excited to fight on DAZN in Tijuana, the cradle of boxing! Fighting in front of the Mexican boxing fans that created big legends like Julio Cesar Chavez and Erik’ El Terrible’ Morales will elevate my profile in front of the boxing community,” said William Zepeda. “Very soon, everyone will know my name, ‘Camaron’ Zepeda. I am also proud to represent Golden Boy, my team, and my family. I have come a long way and will show off all the hard work to give all the boxing fans a great show on February 19.”

“I am putting everything on the line for this opportunity,” said Luis Viedas. “I have been training hard, and although Zepeda is a tough fighter, I am fully confident in my ability to be victorious on February 19.”

“William Zepeda is a very exciting fighter to watch; he comes forward, he has power, speed, he is the whole package,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman, and CEO of Golden Boy. “Every time I see him, he gets better and better, and I know he will deliver a great night of boxing in Tijuana, Mexico on February 19.”

One of the most exciting lightweight fighters to come out of Mexico, William “Camaron” Zepeda, is an undefeated fighter known for his devastating punching power. With a 91% KO ratio, Zepeda has only gone the distance twice in his career, first in 2016 and the second in 2017. Since then, the fighter has defeated every fighter via knockout, including tough contenders Roberto “Rifle” Ramirez and Hector “El Finito” Tanajara. Zepeda was last seen in the ring in November 2021, defeating John Vicente Moralde via knockout in the fourth round.

Luis “Bofo” Viedas of Tijuana, Mexico, has been a local staple on the Tijuana boxing scene since his professional debut in 2006. After a slow 2020 due to the pandemic, Vedas stayed active in 2021 when he was able to fight four times, winning bouts against Jose Luis Araiza, Luis Gerard Perez Salas, and Francisco Coronado. Now, Viedas is looking for an opportunity to prove he is still in his prime when he faces William Zepeda on February 19.

Also, on the fight card and part of the non-broadcasted fight card Jorge “Chino” Garcia (22-3, 18 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico, will participate in a 10-round super welterweight fight against Jesus “Dengue” Nunez Rodriguez (19-8-2, 13 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico.

Argi Cortes (21-2-2, 10 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico is set to face Rogelio Romero (14-5, 7 KOs) of Tlaxcala, Mexico in a 10-round super flyweight fight.

Monterrey’s Arely “Ametralladora” Mucino (30-3-2, 10 KOs) is scheduled to take on Marisol Sanchez (12-9, 5 KOs) of Chiapas, Mexico, in an 8-round flyweight fight.

Opening up the fight card at the Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana, the undefeated Evan Sanchez (9-0, 6 KOs) of Parlier, California, will face Abraham “Pitbull” Juarez (19-8, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 6-round super welterweight event.

Munguia vs. Ballard is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Boxing. The fight will take place on Saturday, February 19 at Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Ballard are on sale now and are priced at $250MX, $700MX, $2,000MX, $3,500MX, $5,000MX not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.arema.com.mx and at their participating retailers.

[margaret thatcher]

glad zepeda's back, but after he totally beasted and stopped an unbeaten, favoured top rank propsect i wish his matchmaking were more ambitious

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

[handsofstone]

Munguia fainted after weigh in but it'll certainly go ahead unless he ends up hospitalised

[margaret thatcher]

ah sheeyat, fainted? that's not good