The undercard unveiling for the eagerly awaited Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia fight on May 4th has left everyone feeling a bit let down.
Despite the allure of the main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, accessible via Amazon Prime Video and DAZN PPV, the undercard’s absence of enthralling matchups has drawn criticism, notably for not featuring rising star Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. Many had hoped to see Ennis in a pivotal fight, particularly against Keith Thurman, believing his participation would have elevated the card’s appeal.
The undercard, critiqued for its non-competitive nature, includes Marios Barrios vs. Fabian Maidana for the WBC interim welterweight title, Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno for the WBC interim featherweight title, and Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestra for the WBA welterweight title. These matches, though involving capable fighters, are seen as mismatches and fail to stir the excitement expected of such a prominent PPV event.
Watch Figueroa vs. Castro full fight: Watch
This dissatisfaction points to a broader issue within boxing promotions, where undercards often don’t match the compelling stories and competitive balance of the main events. This problem is exacerbated in the Canelo vs. Munguia undercard, where the absence of a high-caliber talent like Ennis is keenly felt. A lot of fans have expressed reluctance to pay premium PPV prices for an event that doesn't deliver uniformly high-quality boxing entertainment across all bouts.
Image Credit: DAZN