Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan didn’t hesitate to accept the opportunity to welcome Jaime Munguia to the middleweight division.
It doesn’t mean he plans to throw a party in honor of the former junior middleweight titlist.
“I’m not here to test Jaime Munguia, I’m here to beat him,” insists O’Sullivan (30-3, 21KOs) ahead of their 12-round middleweight clash, which takes place this weekend at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (Saturday, DAZN, 9:00pm ET).
The bout serves as the official middleweight debut for Munguia (34-0, 27KOs), a 24-year old rising star from Tijuana, Mexico whom has simply outgrown the 154-pound division where he crammed in six title fight wins in a 16-month span.
More has been made on what damage Munguia can cause in a weight division more befitting his 6’0” frame than the type of challenge he can expect in his first fight here. O’Sullivan has used to that to his advantage, the always charismatic divisional gatekeeper Ireland quietly and politely assuming the role of underdog throughout the pre-fight buildup.
“It’s been a lot of sacrifice and dedication on my part,” notes the 35-year old from Cork, Ireland who has spent nearly half of his career fighting in the United States. “I recently bought my first home for my family, and I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my family at my new home, but I made a lot of sacrifices and I remained in training camp for the holidays."
The only losses suffered by O’Sullivan have come versus championship-level competition. Billy Joe Saunders has gone on to become a two-division titlist following their July 2013 clash in which the brash Brit claimed a 12-round decision. O’Sullivan managed to peel off six straight wins before suffering a stoppage loss to second-generation middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. in their December 2015 title eliminator.
A 1st round knockout loss at the heavy hands of former middleweight David Lemieux in September 2017 left many in the industry to write off O’Sullivan. Two wins have followed, though still with plenty to prove in the way of keeping alive hopes of one day contending for the middleweight title.
It’s a common dream shared by Munguia, who hopes to reach that point at O’Sullivan’s expense. Conversely, the longshot challenger this weekend looks to put to good use a lengthy training camp squarely focused on achieving a long-elusive career-defining win.
With that, first comes the understanding of the role he’s expected—but refuses—to play this weekend.
“I’m not under no illusion that Jaime is a great fighter, but he should be under no illusion that I've prepared really hard for this fight,” notes O’Sullivan. “It’s nothing personal. I really like Jaime, he is a very good guy, very pleasant guy.
“I wish him good health and good luck in his life, but on Saturday night I'm coming for war—and I'm coming to win. And I look forward to putting a great show."
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox