Boxing analyst BarbosaBox tipped Munguia against Osleys Iglesias, a fight that would carry more weight than a standard defense. Iglesias holds the IBF title and has built a reputation as one of the most shunned fighters at 168 pounds, stopping 14 of his first 15 opponents.
The jump from Armando Resendiz to Osleys Iglesias isn’t just a step up in class, it’s a completely different sport.
Bob Arum and Fernando Beltran of Top Rank & Zanfer spent years carefully cultivating Munguia. They have consistently prioritized high visibility, manageable risk fights, like the Erik Bazinyan or Bruno Surace fights, to keep the Munguia brand profitable.
Iglesias is promoted by Eye of the Tiger (Camille Estephan). While they are hungry for big fights, they don’t have the same cross-promotional marriage with Top Rank that would make a risky unification a no-brainer.
Munguia has just secured the WBA belt. From a promoter’s perspective, why risk losing that leverage immediately against a 6’2″ Cuban southpaw with a 93% knockout rate when you could milk the title for a few lucrative homecoming defenses in Mexico first?
Resendiz was an up-and-coming brawler who sat right in Munguia’s wheelhouse. Munguia often struggles with distance against taller opponents. Iglesias has one-punch power and he has that amateur-trained Cuban invisible hand that makes life difficult for orthodox fighters.
Munguia’s defense, even under Eddy Reynoso, continued to decline. A southpaw with Iglesias’ height and counter punching ability is the worst possible matchup for a fighter who relies on volume and midrange combinations.
If the Saudi Mexico vs. With the World Card taking place in September, the promoters will likely look for a name that poses less of a physical threat than Iglesias. An ideal option would be Edgar Berlanga. He is a massive commercial fight that is much more winnable for Munguia and easier to negotiate.
Promoters usually don’t put their Golden Goose in a cage with a wolf unless the check is big enough to cover the cost of a loss. As talented as Iglesias is, he doesn’t bring the mainstream North American PPV numbers to justify that level of risk for Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions.
