Tijuana Press Conference Notes: Jaime Munguia Set for Raucous Homecoming Against Upset-Minded Bruno Surace
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 13 Dec 2024
Coverage begins LIVE on ESPN+ Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
TIJUANA, Mexico (Dec. 12, 2024) — The road back to a world title for Jaime Munguia continues in a familiar setting.
The Mexican super middleweight star comes home this Saturday, Dec. 14, to face the unbeaten Bruno Surace in the 10-round main event at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana.
Munguia-Surace headlines a bill that will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. In the 10-round co-feature, WBC No. 1 junior featherweight contender Alan Picasso (30-0-1, 16 KOs) hopes to set the stage for a monster 2025 when he takes on Ghana's Isaac Sackey (26-2-2, 21 KOs).
Munguia (44-1, 35 KOs) looks to cap off a busy four-fight 2024 campaign that has included stoppage wins over John Ryder and Erik Bazinyan and a decision loss to Canelo Alvarez. He stopped Bazinyan in 10 rounds in September, four months after his valiant 12-round battle against Canelo. This marks Munguia's first fight in Tijuana since February 2022.
Surace (25-0-2, 4 KOs), from Marseille, France, has won 22 straight fights after a pair of early-career draws. He is fighting away from France for the first time and coming off the most significant victory of his career, last December's 12th-round TKO over the previously undefeated Jhon Jader Obregon.
This is what Munguia and Surace had to say at Thursday's press conference.
Jaime Munguia
“He is a strong fighter. He throws a lot of combinations. We have to be careful with that. I’ve studied him, and I’m confident of the work that we have done. I will walk away with my hand raised in victory.”
“If I knew in what round I could knock him out, I would bet all of my money on that. But I don’t know. It’s uncertain. I can tell you now with full certainty that I will be looking for the knockout.”
“It’s a big weight on my shoulders to fight in this stadium in front of all my people. It’s going to fill me with a lot of emotions. But I have to control that and do an intelligent fight. And I’m prepared to do that and give a great show to the people.”
“We have to focus on everything. Obviously, we focus on improving my boxing skills, but we also focus on the physical conditioning and the mental aspects."
Bruno Surace
“I have seen many of his fights since he was a junior middleweight. He’s an aggressive fighter who fights in the Mexican tradition. We are focused on every detail because the details matter in a big fight. We are ready for a war.”
“I’m very excited to be in his hometown. It’ll be more noise. The ambiance will be great. And the stress is on him.”
“I love this city. The atmosphere is fire. I like the people, and I’m excited to be here.”
“He’s an outstanding fighter. He’s aggressive and very offensive. In the first few rounds, I’ll have to get a lot of information and lay out a plan to fight him. But I’ve also seen many videos of him, and I know how I will need to box him.”
Saturday, December 14
LIVE on ESPN+ (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)
Jaime Munguia vs. Bruno Surace, 10 Rounds, Super Middleweights
Alan Picasso vs. Isaac Sackey, 10 Rounds, Junior Featherweights
Jorge Garcia Perez vs. Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, 10 Rounds, Junior Middleweights
Sebastian Hernandez vs. Sergio Martin Sosa, 10 Rounds, Junior Featherweights
Christian Islas Roldan vs. Juan Anacona, 8 Rounds, Featherweights
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Weigh-In Results for Sanman 101: Laurente Eyes Home Victory
Fri, 12 Jun 2026Arleah Cassandra Sapuan of Valencia, Negros finishes ninth in Las Vegas chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 12 Jun 2026EVERY WORD FROM THE FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE AHEAD OF BAM VS. VARGAS IN GLENDALE, ARIZONA
Fri, 12 Jun 2026IBA President warns Olympic movement will fade unless IOC rewards athletes and reforms now
Fri, 12 Jun 20262026 NBA Finals: Knicks Rally from 29 Points Down to Steal Game 4 from Spurs 107-106
By Reylan Loberternos, Thu, 11 Jun 2026VARGAS: BEATING BAM MAKES ME ‘THE MAN’
Thu, 11 Jun 2026Pound-for-Pound Puerto Rican Champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo Hosts Media Workout Ahead of June 20 Defense Against Philippines’ Joey Canoy
Thu, 11 Jun 2026Sanman 101 boxing event to push through in General Santos
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 11 Jun 2026Panamanian female champ star Nataly Delgado ready to beat Artiga for WBA title in Orlando, Florida
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 11 Jun 2026Pedro Veitia Eager to Separate Himself in Battle of Unbeaten Middleweight Prospects June 13 in Orlando
Thu, 11 Jun 2026Raga, Esquillo, Ortega, Navarrete, Santos, Ripay to compete in Japan 10-Ball Open
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 11 Jun 2026Chess tournament goes to Dasmarinas Cavite
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 11 Jun 2026Roach Jr. vs. Zepeda Press Conference Quotes
Wed, 10 Jun 2026Steven Butler to face Edgar Berlanga on July 26 at the Infosys Theater of the Madison Square Garden in New York
Wed, 10 Jun 2026Nimal Farmer scores signature win over Michael Anderson at Prudential Center
Wed, 10 Jun 2026