Jaime Munguia vs Gary O’Sullivan Preview Jan. 11th
Unbeaten former WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Jaime Munguia of Mexico is back in the ring this Saturday, January 11th when he takes on Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan of Ireland in a 12-round middleweight bout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Munguia last fought in September when he stopped Patrick Allotey of Ghana in the fourth round in the fifth and final defence of his junior middleweight crown. O’Sullivan stopped Khiary Gray in the sixth round last March in his last outing. The Munguia vs O’Sullivan tilt can be seen live in North America on DAZN.
**Watch live on DAZN this Saturday. Your first month is free.
Munguia vs O’Sullivan Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Gary O’Sullivan +900
- Jaime Munguia -2500
My Pick
The 23-year-old Munguia of Tijuana definitely likes to stay active as this will be his 35th fight since turning pro in July of 2013 when he was a teenager. He enters the contest with a perfect mark of 34-0 along with 27 big Kos. He first stepped up in class against Sadam Ali when he stopped him in five rounds in May, 2018 for the title and looked like a beast while stopping him convincingly. He then beat the experienced Liam Smith by unanimous decision in a highly-entertaining fight with plenty of back and forth action.
That 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 79.4 per cent. He went 128-10 in the amateurs and has 132 rounds of pro experience under his belt since then. Munguia got the title shot against Ali when Liam Smith pulled out of the bout 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. However, he struggled against Dennis Hogan and Takeshi Inoue last year as he went the distance in both of them and took quite a few shots. He also had trouble making the 154 lb weight limit and this will be his debut in the 160 lb middleweight division. He stands 6-feet tall but has an unlisted reach. He also defended his former title against Brandon Cook by third-round stoppage in 2018.
O’Sullivan of Cork, is now 35 years old and will climb through the ropes with a mark of 30-3 including 21 Kos. He turned pro in 2008 and has 142 rounds of experience under his belt. Along the way he’s won the American Fighting Organization Super Welterweight Title as well as the Irish, WBO International, WBO Inter-Continental, and WBA-NABA Middleweight Titles. He’s 5-feet-10-inches tall with an unlisted reach, so is two inches shorter than Munguia. He also has pretty good power in his hands with a current knockout ratio of 63.6 per cent.
O’Sullivan failed to come out for the eighth round against Chris Eubank Jr. in their December, 2015 bout and he was stopped by former middleweight belt holder David Lemieux in the first round in September 2018. His other loss was a unanimous decision to Billy Joe Saunders for the vacant WBO International Middleweight Title in July of 2013. O’Sullivan struggles when stepping up in class with his best wins coming against the likes of Matthew Hall, Milton Nunez, Melvin Betancourt, Jaime Barboza and Antoine Douglas. O’Sullivan’s also a fan-friendly boxer whose aggressive style has got him this far.
Prediction…
This should be an all-action fight for as long as it lasts but that may be just a few rounds. O’Sullivan’s been stopped twice and Munguia’s a hard hitter who may be even stronger at middleweight. He’s also 12 years younger than O’Sullivan and I expect him to come out on top in his 160 lb debut.
At 12 years younger and with power, expect a win for Munguia.
Play: Munguia -2500 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Gary O'Sullivan betting • Jaime Munguia betting