Shane Mosley has dismissed speculation that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will step into Saturday's fight with Jaime Munguia, already on the decline of his career. At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the occasion of Cinco de Mayo, Alvarez will defend his outright super middleweight title against fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia, who at 27 is six years younger than him.
Alvarez's defeat to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 sparked speculation that his career was on the decline, and his three opponents since then - Gennadiy Golovkin, John Ryder and Jermell Charlo - have all survived 12 rounds with him.
Mosley went the full distance with Alvarez in 2012 when the Mexican was quickly earning his reputation, and after finishing his career and watching Alvarez establish himself as a top fighter in the world, Mosley believes he will continue to improve his skills.
At the peak of his career, some boxing analysts considered Mosley to be the best fighter in the world. Mosley spoke favorably of Munguia, but said the following about the champion: "He's still got a lot of power. He's only 33. At 46, I'm still fighting, so he's fine. But I think Munguia is also very good. It should be a pretty interesting fight. I think it's going to be a great fight and I'm looking forward to seeing it - I think it's going to be interesting."
"Counterpunching and speed is on Alvarez's side. He's very fast in counterattacks and he knows when to punch and when not to punch. He's a very good boxer. Munguia is a fighter. He likes to get into exchanges and on the offensive. He's tall, long-armed, has good speed and power and he's very difficult to fight."
"I've always thought he's an interesting fighter, but Freddie Roach with his vast experience and other trainers might be able to steer him in a different direction and make his punches hit better. Maybe he can find the right rhythm and timing with Freddie Roach."
"I give Canelo the edge because he has a lot of experience, but I think Munguia will give him some problems and win some rounds. So we'll see what happens. Anything can happen in this fight. It could be points or it could be a knockout. The fight could go either way. Either one is capable of winning on points or by knockout."
Mosley defeated Oscar De La Hoya twice before later working with him at Golden Boy Promotions. For all the considerable mutual respect between Alvarez and Munguia, the relationship between the champion and De La Hoya, his former promoter, has become increasingly strained.
