Jaime Munguia’s upcoming schedule apparently doesn’t have room for an offered title fight.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the former 154lbs titleholder from Tijuana has declined an invitation from the IBF to face Osleys Iglesias for its vacant super middleweight belt. Both parties were contacted on Monday, shortly after which Iglesias, 14-0 (13 KOs), immediately responded with his interest in moving forward with the matchup.
Munguia’s response was just as quick – though not nearly as enthusiastic.
“He has other plans,” Eye of The Tiger Management’s Camille Estephan, Iglesias’ promoter, revealed. “Who's next?”
According to the ratings, that would be England’s Hamzah Sheeraz, 22-0-1 (18 KOs). That’s assuming the IBF soon removes No. 5 rated Callum Simpson, 18-1 (13 KOs), following his knockout defeat to Troy Williamson last month.
Iglesias and his team won’t hold their breath waiting on Sheeraz to accept such an offer to enter talks. The unbeaten super middleweight contender was already ordered by both the WBC and WBO to enter negotiations for separately ordered title fights.
WBC officials ordered a vacant title fight between Christian Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs) – its interim titlist who is also promoted by EOTTM – and Sheeraz in early December during its annual convention. Sheeraz was also ordered by the WBO to enter talks with fellow undefeated contender Diego Pacheco, 25-0 (18 KOs) for its 168lbs title.
The ongoing prediction by BoxingScene has been that the search will eventually lead to No.7 rated Pavel Silyagin, 16-0-1 (7 KOs). The 32-year-old contender from Russha has not fought since July and is available for such a bout.
Next steps for Munguia, 43-2 (35 KOs), are not immediately known, though his team teased a possible April return. That timeline is pushed back from a previously targeted January date.
Munguia fought just once in 2025, a decision win over Bruno Surace to avenge a December 2024 upset knockout defeat in his Tijuana hometown. However, the May victory over the unbeaten Frenchman was mired in controversy, when a post-fight drug test revealed the presence of exogenous testosterone.
The matter became the subject of a drug testing investigation, which ultimately led nowhere. Munguia avoided any significant disciplinary action, other than having been benched during that period.
Whatever the case, he apparently has enough going on to where a fight with Iglesias is not worth his time.
Munguia’s exit from the process comes almost immediately on the heels of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs) similarly bowing out from the same offered opportunity. Alvarez is recovering from elbow surgery performed last October, one month after conceding the undisputed 168lbs championship to Terence Crawford in their September 13 superfight in Las Vegas.
The changing of the guard took place nine days after Iglesias became the IBF number-one contender. The 28-year-old Berlin-based Cuban southpaw earned an 8th round knockout of former title challenger Vladimir Shishkin in their title eliminator last September 4 in Montreal.
It was the lone fight on the year for Iglesias, though right on time given subsequent events. Crawford has since announced his retirement, relinquishing all the 168lbs titles in the process. He’d already parted with the WBC belt prior to that development, and since notified the IBF and WBO that he was severing all ties from the sport.
Jose Armando Resendiz was the lone direct recipient of Crawford’s exit. The resurgent Mexican super middleweight was upgraded from interim to full WBA titlist.
The rest of the belts will be fulfilled in the ring. For Iglesias, the question remains whom he will have to face to obtain the IBF strap.
