It was only a few weeks ago when Jaime Munguia was prepared to share a Mexican Independence Day-themed card with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Now with the date all to himself, the unbeaten super welterweight titlist from Tijuana, Mexico looks forward to one day sharing the ring with his countryman.

Munguia (33-0, 26KOs) remains hard at work for a Sept. 14 title defense versus Ghana’s Patrick Allotey, with their bout topping a DAZN-streamed event at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The opportunity came about when Golden Boy was forced to shift plans after Guadalajara’s Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KOs) failed to secure an opponent in time for a targeted headliner on the weekend he’s performed for each of the past three years.

“It’s such a tremendous honor to represent Mexico, represent our people,” Munguia told BoxingScene.com of being selected to replace the World middleweight champion on the date. “To be able to do it in California means even more. I’ve never fought there before.”

The fight could very well be the last at super middleweight for Munguia, who turns 23 in October and at 6’0” already struggles to comfortably make weight. His name has been previously floated as a potential opponent for Alvarez or former unified middleweight titlist Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin.

Neither bout has ever materialized, although there has been increasing chatter of Mexico’s two most popular current boxing attractions one day colliding in the ring.

For now, both have present-day business on which to focus. Alvarez is due to fight Nov. 2, with a tentative hold at MGM Grand in Las Vegas though still without an opponent.

Should both emerge victorious in their next respective ring appearances, a head-on collision isn’t at all out of the question—at least on one side of the equation.

“We are both great fighters from Mexico; otherwise I don’t have any real relationship with (Alvarez),” notes Munguia. “I would love the chance to fight him one day, it would be an honor and a tremendous fight for all of Mexico to celebrate.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox