Brisbane’s Dennis Hogan to earn big pay day against Mexican superstar Jaime Munguia
Australia’s world No.1 Dennis Hogan will earn a career high payday believed to be $500,000 against giant world champion Jaime Munguia in Monterey, Mexico on April 13.
Boxing/MMA
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Australia’s world No.1 Dennis Hogan will earn a career high payday believed to be $500,000 against giant world champion Jaime Munguia in Monterey, Mexico on April 13.
Hogan, who is trained by Jeff Horn’s coach Glenn Rushton, is confident despite being a huge underdog against the unbeaten 22-year-old destroyer who has mowed down 32 opponents over the past six years and who won the World Boxing Organization junior-middleweight title last year.
The fight will take place at the 18,000-seat Arena Monterey although Hogan’s team fought hard to bring the fight to Queensland.
Irish-born Hogan, 33, who has lived in Brisbane for nine years and has lost just once in 30 pro fights, is 10cm shorter than the 183cm Munguia, who has scored 26 KOs in his 32 wins.
But the WBO’s No.1 contender says he’s ready to put on the performance of his life.
“Munguia has a huge reputation and he’s a great fighter,’’ Hogan said.
“But there are plenty of flaws I can exploit. I watched his last win (a points victory against Japan’s Takeshi Inoue) and I know Munguia is there to be hit. He will find me a much tougher target and a much smarter boxer than guys he’s fought recently.
“Training with Jeff Horn and Glenn Rushton has me ready to shake up the junior-middleweight (70kg) division.’’
Hogan will base himself in Dallas, Texas three weeks before the fight and train out of the gym used by IBF world welterweight champ Errol Spence.
His manager Paul Keegan said while they were disappointed not to bring the world title fight to Queensland, they had extracted a “career best payday’’ out of Munguia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya and had insisted on three neutral judges and a neutral referee.
“We realise we are the underdogs,’’ Keegan said. “But we are very confident that Dennis and Glenn Rushton can cause a huge upset.
“No one gave Jeff Horn a chance against Manny Pacquiao and look what happened.
“If Munguia fights the way he did against Inoue in his last fight then Dennis Hogan will leave Mexico with the world title belt.’’
Munguia captured the world title in May last year by crushing American Sadam Ali who had dethroned all-time great Miguel Cotto.
He has retained the title against Liam Smith, Brandon Cook and Inoue.
Hogan has won five fights in a row since dropping a 12-round decision to Jack Culcay in Germany in December 2015.
His last three wins have all been against boxers in the world top 15.
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