In an expected blowout, middleweight contender Jaime Munguia stopped Kamil Szeremeta at the end of the sixth round on Saturday at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center.

The scheduled 12-round bout served as the headliner of a Golden Boy Promotions card on DAZN.

Munguia (37-0, 30 knockouts), a 24-year-old former junior middleweight beltholder from Tijuana, was initially slated to face Maciej Sulecki on April 24, but the Polish veteran suffered an elbow injury and the bout was moved to June 19. However, Sulecki withdrew again, but they found a replacement in Sulecki’s countryman Szeremeta.

The 31-year-old Szeremeta (21-2, 5 KOs) was fresh off his first pro loss at the hands of IBF titlist Gennadiy Golovkin last December. However, he opted to take on the Munguia fight on two weeks notice and it showed.

Munguia put on the best performance of his career to date as he picked apart his slower opponent with a variety of jabs, hooks, and solid right hands.

“My offense was my defense in this fight from the very first round,” Munguia said. “I [was a bit] surprised at his ability to take punishment. My respects to him.”

Munguia mixed in a variety of jabs and hooks in round three to keep the late replacement opponent Szeremeta at bay. By the end of the frame, Szeremeta’s punch output had dropped drastically.

Szeremeta was gassed by round four as his mouth was wide open from exhaustion.

Munguia continued to back him up with stiff jabs and crisp right hands, but Szeremeta decided to hang in and trade with the young lion in the fifth round.

It was a very bad decision indeed, as the rest of the fight could have been billed: Target Practice.

According to Compubox, Munguia landed 178 of 439 punches (40 percent). Szeremeta, who dropped his second fight in a row, landed just 72 of 287 (25 percent)

And at the end of round six, referee Rafael Ramos, as well as Szeremeta’s corner, stopped the fight.

While it may seem disingenuous, Munguia did stop the late replacement version of Szeremeta quicker than Golovkin by a single round, though the Kazakh managed to drop him four times.

However, Munguia dismissed the comparisons.

“I just came out there to do my own thing and my own way.”

The victory was also his third with trainer Erik Morales, a four-division world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer.

“I [have] learned a lot with him,” Munguia added. “We have a great relationship; I never imagined I’d be learning so much with him, and we’ll keep working and improving with him.”

Munguia said that he would like to fight for a world title by the end of the year.

“I would like to perhaps by the end of the year fight for a world title. And if not, a battle between Mexico vs. Puerto Rico against Gabriel Rosado [would be great]. I think he looked really good tonight. That would be good.

“Yes, of course, we’re ready [for WBO champion Demetrius Andrade]. Whatever you say.”

In the chief support bout, the aforementioned Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) scored a dramatic come-from-behind, one-punch knockout of previously undefeated prospect Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1, 6 KOs) in a third-round demolition.

GABE ROSADO WITH THE KO OUT OF NOWHERE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mOEAP2SChG

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 19, 2021

At the end of the first round, “Bek The Bully” dropped Rosado with a combination to the head and the body.

Melikuziev continued to unload on Rosado’s body in Round 2 while the latter looked for counter opportunities. The Philadelphia native did not capitalize in the second round, but he certainly did in Round 3.

Rosado stepped to his right and countered Melikuziev with a sensational counter overhand right that sent The Bully down face first, and referee Rocky Burke immediately waved off the fight.

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