Jaime Munguia passed the biggest test of his career but he had to go to hell and back to do it.
The unbeaten Mexican dropped veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko with a body shot in the 12th and final round to clinch a unanimous decision victory in a brutal 168-pound fight Saturday in Ontario, California.
The official scores were 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113. The scoring seems to indicate that the knockdown prevented a draw.
115-112, 114-113, 114-113
This knockdown proved HUGE for Jaime Munguia 🥊#MunguiaDerevyanchenko pic.twitter.com/vHzfJSiKjZ
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 11, 2023
Derevyanchenko (14-5, 10 KOs) has a reputation of giving elite opponents all kinds of problems. Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) was no exception.
The two engaged in a back-and-forth war that was difficult to score, one in which both men took a great deal of punishment. It was anyone’s fight after the 11th round.
Then, in the 12th, came the telling blow. Munguia landed a left to the body that forced his 37-year-old opponent to take a knee and give Munguia a 10-8 round.
The final round will take some of the steam from those who thought Derevyanchenko won the fight but it was as close as it gets.
“I listened to my corner,” Munguia said. “I started looking for the body, looking to be more accurate to the center of the body. And once he went down, I knew I had it.”
Munguia, a former 154-pound titleholder, entered the fight as a 160-pound contender but has said he will stay at 168.
That means he’ll be targeting the likes of Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, the top super middleweights, although Alvarez seems to have an aversion to fighting fellow Mexicans and Benavidez is aligned with a competing entity.
Unbeaten Edgar Berlanga, who fights on the same platform as Munguia, might be a likely opponent.
Munguia was asked who he wants next.
“All of them,” he said. “Whatever champion is around. I’m ready for everybody.”