Jaime Munguia vs. D’Mitrius Ballard Preview – Opportunity or Mismatch?
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In a last-minute replacement decision that will either prove to be the opportunity of a lifetime or a complete mismatch, D’Mitrius Ballard will replace the injured Maciej Suleiki against Jaime Munguia in the main event at Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, April 23, 2021. The fight and DAZN fight card is not yet posted on BoxRec.
Munguia, 36-0, 29 knockouts, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, the former World Boxing Organization Super Welterweight champion at 154 pounds, currently holds the World Boxing Organization Inter-Continental Middleweight title, and is coming off stoppage wins in 2020 over Tureano Johnson and Gary (Spike) O’Sullivan. Ballard, 20-0-1, 13 knockouts, Temple Hills, Maryland, has a No Contest with Elias Espadas, and a 10 round majority draw with Yamagucho Falcao which was a NABF vacant title bout and has not won a bout in nearly two years. Based on last two performances, and inactivity, Ballard taking on Munguia would seem to be a mismatch-but is it?
The Coronavirus pandemic has made professional boxing a funny place in the weirdest sense. The interpretation of the opportunity rests in the weight class history of the fighters.
Ballard is actually a shrunken light heavyweight, while Munguia is a blown up junior welterweight. With all true respect to the Sugar Ray Leonards and Sugar Ray Robinsons of the world who move up in weight class in their prime successfully, Middleweight champion Carlos Monzon versus World Welterweight champion Jose (La Mantequilla) Napoles was indeed a mismatch, and Munguia might not be the next Danny Jacobs, GGG or Saul (Canelo) Alvarez. A lot depends on where Ballard has been in the gym. Andy Ruiz Jr. was in the gym when he replaced Jarrell (Big Baby) Miller against Anthony Joshua. If Ballard is ready, it could be a significant technical points fight, or a dangerous and deadly slugfest.
Munguia has atom bomb power, but power of this nature tends to diffuse as fighters go up in weight class. Munguia needed 11 rounds to dispatch Gary O’ Sullivan, a fighter David Lemiux dispatched in 164 seconds. As my colleague in arms ex-commissioner Bob Duffy once noted, last minute matches can be a mistake, as some of these opponents can truly be dangerous. Some are harmless. Ballard is not. A hungry and wounded lion, Ballard has demonstrated first round knockout ability, and 10 round decision technical ability.
Munguia has gone 10 to 12 rounds five times, Ballard three times. However, the weight class distinction must be recognized. Munguia has a magnificent overhand power right which has force, but often goes wide, making himself susceptible to counters. Against middleweight Spike O’Sullivan, Munguia was backed up frequently by an opponent who stood in front of him the whole fight.
Ballard had all kinds of trouble early with Elias Espadas despite Espads bleeding from the corner of the left eye from a cut from an accidental headbutt. Espada had all kinds of success trapping Ballard along the ropes, throwing and landing multiple left right combinations at machine gun speed. Ballard survived the storm and came back, fighting for his family and children with motivational passion. However, Falcao went the distance toe to toe with Ballard for all ten rounds, and was not phased by anything Ballard threw.
The bottom line of this fight is Munguia by stoppage within eleven rounds, or Ballard by decision. Whichever fighter wants it more will win it. Ballard has the motivation and discipline to push himself. The winner of this bout will probably get 29-0 Demitrius (Boo-Boo) Andrade, the WBO World Middleweight champion, later in 2021, if Andrade can get by WBO title challenger 23-2-1 British Middleweight champion Liam Williams in the main event on April 17, 2021, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
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