Dennis Hogan hopes to fight Mexican in River City Rumble II
Even before light-middleweight Dennis Hogan throws a punch at Mexico’s foreboding world champion Jaime Munguia he’s fighting hard to bring their showdown to Brisbane.
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Even before light-middleweight Dennis Hogan throws a punch at Mexico’s foreboding world champion Jaime Munguia he’s fighting hard to bring their showdown to Brisbane.
Irish-born Hogan is the mandatory contender for Munguia’s WBO world title and with hundreds of sparring rounds against his mate Jeff Horn is ready to spring one of the big upsets of 2019.
After making his name with a series of world title fight victories in America, Munguia says he wants to battle Hogan before his home fans in Monterey, Mexico on April 13.
But Hogan and promoter Paul Keegan remain confident they can find the backing to pay Munguia’s $1.5 million purse and then come up with another $1.5 million to cover all other expenses for the big fight in Brisbane.
Munguia, 22, arrived on the world boxing scene with an almighty bang, crushing New Yorker Sadam Ali last May to win the WBO title. Hogan and Keegan sat slack-jawed ringside watching the young Mexican morph into Godzilla but Munguia has looked less ferocious in his three title fights since, including last weekend’s 12-round decision against the kamikaze-style attacks of Japanese underdog Takeshi Inoue in Houston, Texas.
``Munguia looked awesome when he won the title. He’s a giant for 70kg but there are a lot of holes in his defence,’’ said Hogan, who has beaten three world top 15 opponents in his last three starts.
``Munguia is there to be hit. Inoue couldn’t miss him with straight rights last weekend and I know how to beat him. In and out, in and out and make him miss. Make him tired. I really can’t wait to fight Munguia and shock the world.’’
Hogan says he’s not getting ahead of himself but he’s already talking about making the first defence of the title against Gary ``Spike’’ O’Sullivan in Dublin in the first ever all-Irish world title fight.
If that happens, there are plans to match Jimboomba’s women star Deedee Hobbs against Irish Olympic hero Katie Taylor on the same card.
At 183cm, Munguia has a 10cm height advantage over Hogan and a flawless record of 32 wins in 32 fights, 26 by KO.
Hogan has a record of 28 wins and a draw in 30 fights with seven wins by KO. His only defeat was on points against German Jack Culcay in an interim world title fight three years ago.
There have been suggestions that Munguia-Hogan could be made as an undercard fight to the May 4 middleweight battle between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas.
But Hogan and his team say they will do all they can to bring the Mexican giant to Brisbane and send him home without his belt.
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Originally published as Dennis Hogan hopes to fight Mexican in River City Rumble II
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