First loss shouldn't take away from Jaime Munguia's potential

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jaime Munguia said to expect “a full-out Mexican war” against Canelo Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

And while Munguia (43-1) may have suffered the first loss of his career Saturday night, he made good on his promise.

Alvarez (61-2-2), who has been on boxing’s pound-for-pound lists for more than a decade, retained his undisputed super middleweight belt with a unanimous decision.

Judge Tim Cheatham scored the fight 117-110, Steve Weisfeld had it 115-112 and David Sutherland 116-111.

And in a fight that was sure to be significant for Munguia, win or lose, the fiery and powerful boxer put his talent on display early on, overcame being knocked down in the fourth round, and took Alvarez to the distance for a fifth straight fight.

“I came out strong and was winning the early rounds,” said Munguia, 27. “I let my hands go, but he’s a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it’s my first loss and I felt strong.”

Munguia who closed a 3-to-1 underdog at BetMGM, ignited the announced crowd of 17,492 quickly, landing a sharp left to Alvarez’s face in the first round. He came alive inside the two-minute mark of the second and set the tone in the third before closing the round with a flurry of punches culminating with a big right to head.

Then it was Alvarez’s turn.

The 33-year-old champion reminded Munguia of who he was fighting by using a left-right combination that resulted in a knockdown - the first time he'd been dropped in his career - and seemingly reverberated the rest of the way.

Alvarez’s stronger punches coupled with Munguia’s deflated energy over the next five rounds.

The elder fighter credited his younger challenger afterward by saying he was strong, but also added he’s “a little slow” and “I could see every punch.”

“That’s why I’m the best,” Alvarez said. “I took my time. I have a lot of experience. Munguia is a great fighter. He’s strong and smart. But I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good and I’m proud of it.”

Munguia, who was thriving under new trainer Freddie Roach, appeared to be peaking both physically and mentally.

“There’s no doubt I would have beaten anyone else tonight,” Munguia said. “He has a lot of experience. I started well, but he’s a fighter who creates a lot of problems.”

Roach made his debut in Munguia’s corner in a win over John Ryder in January, and will now go back to the drawing board to prepare his young fighter for whatever promoter Oscar De La Hoya throws his way next.

There are several viable options for Munguia, including Christian Mbilli, the No. 1 WBC contender from Canada who has yet to face top-notch competition and would likely be more than willing for the bout.

Los Angeles’ Diego Pacheco is ranked No. 1 in the WBO, and is a fellow Mexican fighter who would be a formidable foe.

Finally, Puerto Rican boxer Edgar Berlanga is ranked No. 1 by the WBA, and is another big puncher that would electrify the ring with Munguia.

“This experience for Jaime will take him to another level,” De La Hoya said. “He gains experience. He didn’t get schooled. He gained experience and becomes a better fighter.”

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Canelo Alvarez knocks down Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez knocks down Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Jaime Munguia hits Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president on Saturday vetoed the so-called “Russian law” targeting media that has sparked weeks of mass protests.

The law would require media and NGOs to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Critics of the bill say it closely resembles legislation used by the Kremlin to silence opponents, and that it will obstruct Georgia’s bid to join the EU.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with Georgia’s ruling party, said on Saturday that the law contradicts Georgia’s Constitution and “all European standards,” and added that it “must be abolished.”

The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has a majority sufficient to override Zourabichvili’s veto, and is widely expected to do so in the coming days.

The Georgian government insists that the law is intended to promote transparency and curb what it deems harmful foreign influence in the country of 3.7 million. Many Georgian journalists and campaigners fiercely dispute this characterization, saying they are already subject to audit and monitoring requirements. They say that the law's true goal is to stigmatize them and restrict debate ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October.

The EU offered Georgia candidate status last December, while making it clear that Tbilisi needs to implement key policy recommendations for its membership bid to progress. The recommendations concern, among other areas, elections that must be remain free and fair, fighting disinformation “against the EU and its values," and safeguarding the independence of public institutions such as the central bank and anti-corruption bodies.

The opposition United National Movement and many protesters accuse Georgian Dream of trying to scupper the EU integration process, and to instead drag Georgia into Russia’s sphere of influence — allegations the ruling party vehemently rejects. Georgian Dream was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who made his fortune in Russia.

The bill is nearly identical to one that the party was pressured to withdraw last year after street protests. Renewed demonstrations have rocked Georgia for weeks, with demonstrators scuffling with police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. An opposition lawmaker earlier this month spoke in Parliament with a bandaged face, visible bruises and cuts. His allies said he had been assaulted by police during the protests.

EU officials and Western leaders have repeatedly expressed concerns over the law, as well as Tbilisi's heavy-handed response to dissent. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, issued a statement Wednesday in support of the Georgian protesters, and to condemn what he described as a wave of violence against opposition politicians, activists, journalists and their families.

European Council President Charles Michel said Tuesday that if Georgians “want to join the EU, they have to respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the democratic principles.”

Zourabichvili told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that it was hard to say whether the bill was Georgian Dream’s initiative or if Moscow had played any role in its passage, but she emphasized that the Kremlin is unhappy with Georgia’s pro-Western aspirations.

“It’s clear that Moscow is not seeing with lots of appreciation this accelerated pace of Georgia towards the European Union,” she said.

Russia-Georgia relations have been strained and turbulent since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and Georgia’s departure from its role as a Soviet republic.

In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which had made a botched attempt to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another separatist province, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence there. Most of the world considers both regions to be parts of Georgia.

Tbilisi cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, and the regions’ status remains a key irritant even as Russia-Georgia relations have improved in recent years.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili gestures while speaking during an interview with The Associated Press, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Zourabichvili said Thursday that a "foreign influence" bill passed by parliament that critics call a threat to free speech is "unacceptable." (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)