Jaime Munguia vs Brandon Cook Preview Sept. 15th
Unbeaten WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Jaime Munguia of Mexico is back in the ring already as he defends his title for the second time since July when he takes on Brandon Cook of Canada this Saturday, September 15th. The 12-round bout is on the undercard of the Golovkin vs Alvarez rematch and can be seen in the U.S on HBO pay-per-view as well as on BT Sports pay-per-view in the UK. Munguia won the title by stopping former champ Sadam Ali in the fourth round in May and then beat Liam Smith by unanimous decision in July. Cook last fought in May when he stopped Miguel Angel Suarez in the third round.
Munguia vs Cook Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Brandon Cook +1400
- Jaime Munguia -4000
My Pick
The 21-year-old Munguia definitely likes to stay active as this will be his fifth fight of the year already. He enters the contest with a perfect mark of 30-0 along with 25 big Kos. He stepped up in class against Ali and looked like a beast while stopping him convincingly. He then took on the experienced Smith and the two of them produced a highly-entertaining fight with plenty of back and forth action. The fight also highlighted Munguia’s defensive shortcomings, but that’s a part of what makes him so exciting.
Of course the other part of his fan-friendly style is the fact that he has some dynamite in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 83 per cent. He turned pro as a young teenager back in 2013 after going 128-10 in the amateurs and has 101 rounds of experience under his belt since then. Munguia was originally considered as a replacement for Canelo Alvarez to fight Gennady Golovkin in May, but the powers that be decided the weight and experience advantage for Golovkin was too much. However, that may not be the case now.
Munguia got the title shot against Ali when Liam Smith pulled out of the bout against Ali due to an injury. Munguia jumped at the chance and in hindsight it was a huge mistake on Ali’s part. Munguia entered the fight as a hungry boxer who wanted to make a name for himself on the world stage and he certainly did that with his impressive performance. Munguia is close to 6-feet-1-inch tall, but has an unlisted reach. He overpowered Ali with his size and strength and could be in for a long reign as champion.
Cook is a 32-year-old native of Ajax, Ontario, close to Toronto, and has an impressive record of 20-1 along with 13 Kos. He turned pro back in 2011 and has boxed 90 rounds since. He’s captured the IBA Inter-Continental, IBA North American, WBA-NABA, WBA Inter-Continental, and Canadian Junior Middleweight Titles along the was along with the WBA-NABA Canadian Middleweight Championship. However, other than Fitz Vanderpool, he hasn’t fought anybody of note in doing so. His lone loss was a ninth-round TKO at the hands of Kanat Islam last September.
Cook’s biggest wins have been against boxers such as Tebor Bosch, Phil Rose, Gogi Knezevic, Rafael Sosa Pintos, Davide Doria, Hector Carlos Santana and Steven Butler. There’s no height and reach info available for Cook, but we do know he gives up both height and reach to the champion. Cook has some pop in his fists as his current knockout ratio stands at a respectable 62 per cent. What he lacks in experience though he makes up for it confidence, hear and determination.
Prediction…
Cook is definitely taking a big step up in class here and it’s probably easy to say he won’t be ready for it. However, Munguia can be hit, but that seems to be the Canadian’s only chance here. Look for Munguia to retain his crown, likely by stoppage, but it could be an interesting and entertaining fight while it lasts.
Munguia’s a class above Cook at this stage.
Play: Munguia -4000 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form. And if you’re ready to bet on the fight, check out our 3 step guide to betting on the GGG vs Canelo rematch.
Brandon Cook betting • Jaime Munguia betting