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The number of summers he has spent boxing has bestowed, it seems, on Leonard Ellerbe an uncanny ability. When it comes to a match, he knows the direction in which the wind will blow. An outcome of the time spent with one of the greatest boxers in history? Could be. Even when it comes to a match where he may not be directly involved, the venerable CEO of Mayweather Promotions can foresee its eventual destination.

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Come Saturday night, Canelo Alvarez will commence the year’s campaign against fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia. Undoubtedly, the undisputed super middleweight champion remains a clear favorite to win the title defense. However, a few won’t mind giving the benefit of the doubt to the Tijuana-born former light middleweight champion. But Leonard Ellerbe won’t jump on that risk. As it appears, the Mayweather Promotions head honcho has already smelled blood.

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Canelo Alvarez versus Jaime Munguia: Culminating in Severe Circumstances

That’s why, pulling no punches, he stated that Canelo Alvarez would end the match on May 4, in the most brutal fashion, when Sean Zittel asked him for his thoughts on the match. “Uh, Canelo’s going to knock him out, yeah, in brutal fashion. Brutal,” said Ellerbe. Zittel then inquired whether the end would come via a head or a body shot. The Mayweather Promotions CEO responded that he envisaged a hit on the body to close the deal.

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He added that he had gone through a few videos of Jaime Munguia. So even though the young boxer might be the bigger guy, Ellerbe can clearly make out what’s written on the wall. Even Freddie Roach‘s intervention can barely stop the inevitable.

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Zittel mentioned the discussion he had with David Benavidez on the fight. It seems ‘The Mexican Monster’ came up with some sound suggestions that could help Munguia thwart the super middleweight champion’s attack.

Experience in Top-Tier Competition Crucial: Leonard Ellerbe

According to ‘The Mexican Monster’, though, Canelo Alvarez will not have an easy joyride at the T-Mobile Arena. Jaime Munguia is a powerful boxer who thrives on combination punching. So it is imperative that the former light middleweight champion keep his distance from the undisputed king. Otherwise, he will end up in the firing range of the latter’s piercing body shots. But even Benavidez believed that it’s going to be a Canelo Alvarez win.

Leonard Ellerbe still sounded a bit skeptical. “It’s not as easy as it sounds,” he said, spilling out the reason, “because Canelo has a low center of gravity, he knows how to get underneath shots, he knows how to step around shots, he knows how to set shots up. His IQ is off the charts.

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According to the Mayweather Promotions head, Jaime Munguia has considerable experience fighting. However, he considerably lacks exposure when it comes to fighting in ‘high-level competition’. “So he’ll be in for a rude awakening when he steps in there; it’s not like he’s looking at John Ryder or somebody else again.

Maybe, given the number of years he has spent fighting at the top level, Canelo Alvarez has a clear advantage over Jaime Munguia. However, it will be too early to rule out a boxer who, in a way, ended the career of someone who gave Alvarez a tough fight, taking him the whole distance last year. Fans will now eagerly watch out to see whether Leonard Ellerbe’s prediction comes true or not.

Do you agree with Ellerbe’s review of the Alvarez-Munguia fight? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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Jaideep R Unnithan

3,778 Articles

Jaideep R. Unnithan is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports and one of the division’s most trusted voices. Since joining in October 2022, he has brought a deep love for the sport into every story, whether reporting on live bouts with the ES LiveEvent Desk or unpacking the legacy of fighters from different eras as part of the features desk. Trained under EssentiallySports’ prestigious Journalistic Excellence Program, which is a specialized training initiative designed to refine top writers' skills through mentorship and advanced sports journalism techniques, Jaideep’s writing reflects a quiet authority shaped by two years of covering boxing’s flashpoints and fault lines. He is drawn to the warrior code of legends like Alexis Argüello and Marvin Hagler, while also staying attuned to the promise of rising stars like Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, David Benavidez, and Dmitry Bivol. Jaideep has a special fascination with Naoya Inoue’s old-school grit. Beyond writing, he reads widely, a habit that sharpens his storytelling, whether he’s tracing the rhythm of a classic fight or preparing his next ringside dispatch. Before joining EssentiallySports, Jaideep worked as a client manager and team manager in corporate roles, bringing strong organizational and communication skills to his journalistic career. He has also completed notable certifications, including a Non-Fiction Book Writing Workshop.

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Gokul Pillai

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