As expected, the WBO has ordered newly minted super welterweight champion Jaime Munguia to face top contender Liam Smith, whom Munguia replaced against Sadam Ali earlier this month. The two have until June 14 to come to terms, otherwise a purse bid will be ordered.
Munguia (29-0, 25 KO) has seen his stock rise exponentially in a very short period of time, going from skilled prospect to potential Gennady Golovkin opponent to world champion via four-knockdown thrashing of Sadam Ali.
And all that at the age of 21.
Smith (26-1-1, 14 KO) came up well short against Canelo Alvarez in his last bout with an elite fighter, but is coming off of back-to-back wins over Liam Williams, controversial though they were. One thing he definitely has going for him is size; he actually missed the super welterweight limit against Williams the first time, making him a damn sight larger than career welterweight Ali.
Then again, Munguia is also huge, so no telling what difference that’ll make.