Making the fourth defense of his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO 168-pound world titles, Canelo delivered another Cinco de Mayo weekend masterpiece as he took home the decision by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112.
Munguia fought valiantly and was extremely busy in the ring, but Canelo consistently landed the cleaner shots across the 12 rounds.
“This win means a lot,” said Canelo. “I’m glad that I gave him this opportunity. Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He’s gonna have a great career. I’m very proud that the whole world is watching us Mexicans.”
"I came out strong and was winning the early rounds,” said Munguia. “I let my hands go, but he’s a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it's my first loss and I felt strong.”
Munguia appeared to have the momentum after he closed round three with a right hand that appeared to snap Canelo’s head back. However, Canelo responded like the future Hall of Famer he is and delivered the highlight of the fight in round four with a left hook-uppercut that put Munguia on the mat.
“I took my time,” said Canelo. “I have a lot of experience. Munguia is a great fighter. He's strong and smart. But I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good and I’m proud of it. He’s strong, but he’s a little slow. I could see every punch. That’s why I’m the best.”
"There’s no doubt I would have beaten anyone else tonight,” said Munguia. “He has a lot of experience. I started well, but he’s a fighter who creates a lot of problems."
Canelo rode the momentum from that moment to dominate the final eight rounds on the way to his unanimous decision. While Munguia threw more punches than Canelo according to CompuBox (663-536), it was Canelo who held the edge in shots landed (234-170) and connect rate (44% to 26%).
After sweeping the final three rounds on all of the cards, Canelo discussed his place in boxing history and his plans for what comes next.
“When I retire, my numbers will say what position I'm in,” said Canelo. “I know there's a lot of great Mexican fighters in the past, but I’m the best fighting right now. I’m gonna rest and enjoy my family. If the money is right, I can fight right now. I’ve fought everyone and I can do what I want."
Esther Lin / Premier Boxing Champions