By Miguel Rivera
Tijuana's Jaime Munguia is, according to Hall of Fame coach Nacho Beristain, one of the young Mexican fighters who has to be tracked because he has the talent to do something big.
And because of that, Nacho did not recommend that his handlers throw him to the lions as quickly as they intended.
Munguia (28-0, 24 KOs) was a frontrunner to replace Canelo Alvarez as the May 5th opponent for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Canelo withdrew from the contest after being temporarily suspended for failing two drug tests back in February, after he tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol.
A deal was actually reached for the fight between Munguia and Golovkin - but the Nevada State Athletic Commission put a stop to the contest.
The NSAC felt the Mexican did not have the proper credentials to fight someone like Golovkin.
There were some critics who complained, because Conor McGregor was allowed to make his boxing debut against a fighter with a 49-0 record like Floyd Mayweather.
But, Mayweather was 40-years-old, coming back from a two year retirement, fighting at a higher weight with smaller gloves, and is not considered to be a puncher.
"What happened with McGregor is that Mayweather is very influential with that commission. I recently took a fighter to Las Vegas to fight against one of Mayweather's boxers. My guy won, but because Floyd was there, they gave him a draw. He is extremely influential," said Nacho to ESPN Deportes.
Unlike Mayweather - Golovkin is still near his prime, active and a dangerous puncher. Munguia has no big fight experience, has to move up from junior middleweight and not long ago was fighting as a welterweight.
Nacho believes the NSAC made the right move by stopping that fight.
"If I were the commissioner I would not have authorized it either, he is a little boy with many faculties but with some deficiencies. He hits very hard but he also receives. I am very attracted to his way of throwing combinations, but for him to face someone like GGG right now would be to precipitate someone who can be a star," Nacho said.
"I do not doubt that Munguia could give a great fight to Golovkin, but he could get hurt. The commission is an authority and we have to respect what they say, I think they are doing a favor to those who handle the kid because it would be painful to see the possibility of seeing his ability to become a great star in the future get marginalized."