As we approach the last big event of the year (Usyk vs. Fury 2), boxing treated us with a shocker in Tijuana, MX, on ESPN+ and a war between two fighters in their home territory of Southern California on DAZN. Although the fights were polar opposites, it’s the kind of weekend that reinvigorates the love for the sport amongst hardcore fans.
Bruno Surace Transformed Himself Into The Night King
When Bruno Surace (26-0-2, 5 KOs) walked into the arena last night in Tijuana, MX, he was confident that a special performance could be put together. However, he was the only one who had that thought. Before the bell rang, Surace was a 12-1 underdog and the odds of winning by a knockout were 22-1. This was a homecoming for Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs), who was looking to make his fourth fight in 2024 a spectacular one with fights against Caleb Plant, Edgar Berlanga and Christian Mbilli waiting on the horizon. The only problem was that Surace didn’t get the memo.
The fight began just as expected; Munguia pushed the action by moving forward and applying pressure. Surace appeared to be initially overwhelmed with it all, and what we all saw was that Munguia was going to make quick work of the 26-year-old Frenchman. Furthering that thought was when Munguia landed a left hook in the second round sending Surace crashing down for the fight’s first knockdown. With plenty of time left in the round, Munguia went in for the kill, but Surace somehow survived the round and didn’t allow the referee the opportunity to stop the fight. As it happens with some fighters, it appeared that knockdown woke up Surace, and he was able to regain his focus.
Munguia would continue to apply pressure, but there were some counterpunches here and there from Surace that made you think Munguia should watch it, but then again, those thoughts would escape as Munguia is known for having a somewhat iron chin being knocked down only by the great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Then the sixth round came, and after Munguia threw a punch, Surace came firing back with a slingshot straight right hand that saw Munguia fold like a flip phone and go down for the count. Was the referee’s count a little fast? Yes, but it didn’t matter as Munguia was out on his feet and letting him continue could have gotten him really hurt. Just like that, Surace earned a sixth-round knockout that will be considered a favorite for Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year.
Surace iced Munguia as if he was the Night King character in Game of Thrones on a winter night in Tijuana. One punch took him from a fighter who had never fought outside of France to now a guy who could very well earn his first seven-figure payday in 2025. This is why we all love boxing, for these moments when a big underdog defeats the favorite, making him an overnight success.
Alexis Rocha & Raul Curiel Went To War In Ontario
For those that reside in the Southern California area, the minute Alexis Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) vs. Raul Curiel (15-0-1, 13 KOs) was announced, they all knew that it would be a highly competitive fight that was as 50/50 as you can get. The only thing was that the rest of the boxing world may not have known that, but they soon realized what they were in store for after the bell rang to start the fight.
Rocha stayed true to the game plan: keep the fight at mid-range and use his footwork to get himself out of any potential dangers against the bigger Curiel. For the first half of the fight, Rocha did that and was successful, but there were moments where Curiel was able to trap Rocha in close, and he landed some big shots on him. The feeling was that after the first six rounds, Rocha was slightly ahead but needed to be careful in the second half, as Curiel is known for being better during that part of the fight.
Rocha did something in the second half of the fight that didn’t seem to be good for him against a guy like Curiel, and that’s come forward and take the fight to the bigger man. That came with some risks, as he took some huge shots from Curiel, but Rocha was able to weather the storm and show that he had just as much as heart as fans already knew he had. On the other hand, Curiel ramped up his punch output, and his combinations were as smooth as silk. During the championship rounds, Curiel would land a huge four-punch combination, and just when he thought he had his opponent hurt, Rocha would come roaring back with a combination of his own. It was a real-life Rocky sequence, and fans at the Toyota Center in Ontario, CA, were on their feet.
The fight was great, and when the year closes, it will be considered a nominee for Fight of the Year. Although it ended up being a majority draw (116-112, 114-114 & 114-114), both fighters were happy that neither one was on the losing end of the fight and that they left it all in the ring. Both men immediately called for a rematch, and when it gets made, this time, boxing fans won’t overlook the fight and will tune in either live or on DAZN.
Final Thoughts
Every once in a while, boxing reminds us that when matchups are done right, it could deliver the pound of flesh that fight fans need to fill their entertainment cup. That’s what we got from Rocha-Curiel. Then we get treated with the long-shot underdog beating the heavy favorite, which drives the motivation of up-and-coming fighters who one day hope to get their shot, even if it means being counted out by basically everyone. That is what boxing is about and why we all love the sport. Hopefully the promoters can stick to that trend and deliver the great fights fans want to watch.
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