Spike O’Sullivan ready to cash in not cash out against Jaime Munguia
Spike O’Sullivan [30(21)-3(2)] has warned Jaime Munguia [34(27)-0] he isn’t travelling to Texas just to collect his pay cheque.
The Cork puncher takes part in the first major fight of 2011 when he trades leather with the undefeated former WBO light middleweight champion of the world on January 11.
The Celtic Warrior Gym fighter returns to 160lbs for the first time since he lost to David Lemiuex back in September of 2018 and goes into the clash as an outsider.
While the bookies have him down as an 8/1 underdog the former Irish champion is adamant he isn’t going into the DAZN broadcast Alamodome hosted clash with an defeatist mentality.
The Mahon man does suggest he will need to produce a career best performance to register victory over Dennis Hogan’s former foe, but claims he has been training with such a display in mind.
“I think it will be a tough ask for me, but I’ve been training all over Christmas, and I’m not going there to lose or turn up for a pay cheque,” he told Bernard O’Neill in the Examiner.
“I’m not just turning up to be a participant. I’m going with the intention of winning. It’s a massive fight for me, the biggest fight of my career against the undefeated world champion.”
Munguia has an impressive record having won a world title by the age of xx and defending it five times since.
However, there have been question marks with regard to him being the second coming of Canelo since Kildare’s Hogan out boxed him only to be severely hard done by the judges in an Mexico hosted April light middleweight world title fight.
Munguia’s team are putting any previous problems down to the fact the six foot plus fighter was struggling to make 154lbs. It has since been suggested the move to 160lbs will enable the Mexican to put on such a display that he will be back in the frame to fight some of the massive middleweight names.
Such talk hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Celtic Warrior Gym fighter, Spike believes he is being overlooked.
“I think they [Munguia’s team] are taking it for granted, to be honest.”
Whilst recent WBC middleweight world title challenger Hogan proved Munguai isn’t quite the monster he is being marketed as just yet the blue print the Kildare fighter provided doesn’t quite suit O’Sullivan.
The awkward style of ‘The Hurricane’ may be hard for any fighter, particularly one with a hurricane approach like O’Sullivan to emulate.
Still, Paschal Collins, Spike’s coach, has his own plan of action and is confident of a good showing from the Cork fighter.
“Dennis pushed him close and if the fight weren’t in Mexico, if Jaime weren’t the champ, maybe Denis would have gotten the decision that night,” said Collins.
“What Jaime shows me is that he’s strong. He’s very fit when he fights, he comes for it and loves a tear up. I’ll get Spike ready to put on a good show.”
