The last fighter who tried to knock out “King” Gabe Rosado ended up asleep on the canvas and his unbeaten record was sent into oblivion. However Jaime Munguia promises to fulfill the mission that Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev failed to accomplish.

The undefeated Mexican middleweight squares off against the perennial journeyman Rosado in a DAZN-streamed main event, on November 13, at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

His confidence is tenable. Munguia, The Ring’s No. 6-ranked middleweight, is riding a four-bout KO winning streak with triumphs over Patrick Allotey, Gary O’Sullivan, Tureano Johnson and Kamil Szeremeta.

“This is going to be a really great fight and a really enjoyable one for me,” claimed Munguia through an interpreter. “I’m pursuing the knockout. I’m looking to knock Gabe out.”

And if the plans fail to come to fruition?

“If I don’t get the knockout, I’m prepared to go hard for 12 rounds one way or the other. Regardless we’re going to reward the fans on fight night with a really great fight.”

Jaime Munguia’s (left) jab was a key weapon against a very tough and game Gary O’Sullivan. Photo by Tom Hogan

Munguia’s name first hit the map in 2017 when he was rewarded with The Ring Magazine’s “Prospect of the Year” honors. The following year, the 25-year-old was considered as a replacement opponent for then-unified middleweight titlist Gennadiy Golovkin after superstar Canelo Alvarez was suspended for six months following two failed drug tests.

The idea of pairing Golovkin against a 21-year-old prospect, at the time, was panned as a “crash-test dummy” scenario by some. The Nevada State Athletic Commission apparently agreed as it rejected Munguia. Instead of Munguia, the crash dummy became Vanes Martirosyan, who was destroyed inside two rounds in California.

A week following the collapse of Martirosyan, Munguia (37-0, 30 knockouts) fought then-beltholder Sadam Ali for his WBO junior middleweight title.

Munguia put a ferocious beating on Ali in an eye-opening performance, flooring the 2008 Olympian four times en route to a fourth round stoppage to win his first major title. Instead of being a potential crash-test dummy for Golovkin, Munguia wound up making five defenses before moving up to 160-pounds in January 2020.

We asked Munguia if he considered himself lucky that the NSAC turned him down as a replacement opponent for Golovkin and if that decision propelled him to have a more successful career than previously imagined.

“Things happen for a reason. Maybe that helped my career; perhaps it didn’t. I can’t comment on what could’ve happened,” Munguia told The Ring, “but I’m grateful to life and to God for, one, giving me the opportunity. And, two, for taking my life on a different trajectory and providing me with different opportunities to fight for a world title at the junior middleweight division [at the time].

Jaime Munguia (left) punches Patrick Allotey (right) during their junior middleweight bout at the Dignity Health Sports Park on September 14, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions/Getty Images)

“Things have settled very nicely for me. I’ve gotten stronger and I’m working on continuing to grow and to grow at a good pace. I’m really looking forward to the future, especially to November 13 when I take on Gabe Rosado. It’s going to be a great fight.”

Rosado (26-13-1, 15 KOs) is coming off an electrifying, come-from-behind, one-punch knockout of the previously undefeated Melikuziev on June 19. The fight served as the chief support to Munguia’s expected blowout of replacement opponent Kamil Szeremeta.

While he concedes that he doesn’t have the resume of a Rosado, who is trained by Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach, Munguia contends that his skills will ultimately shine when they step foot in the ring.

“I have no idea what his strategy will be. I don’t know if he is going to box or brawl but what I can tell you is what I’ve been working on and that’s my defense,” he stated. “I’ve been working on my jab, so I can target Gabe’s body.

“That will be the key to victory. With my preparation this training camp, I believe the key to defeating Gabe Rosado will be my jab and precise attacks to the body.”

Munguia is trained by former four-division champion and Hall-of-Famer Erik Morales. Like Rosado, he has been with his respective coach for the last two years. However the question becomes, who has improved more under his latest instructor?

“There’s no denying that Gabe has the experience. He has fought some of the biggest names in the sport. “Regardless of his experience, I have more to bring to the table as far as my abilities. Although I’m the younger man, I’m the stronger man,” Munguia assured.

“My corner has more experience, also, and I’m very confident that I will beat him.”

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