Victorian boxer Michael Gerrafa says Mexican Jaime Munguia “did a lot wrong” because he considered a fight offer from the former world champion.
Gerafa is expected to decide in the coming days whether to fight Munguia (39-0), a former WBO junior middleweight champion, or top IBF fighter Esquiva Falcao or even Gennady Golvkin, although the latter is being considered. The lowest probability
After previously flagging a possible world title fight against Falco in Melbourne, Gerafa now looks set to go abroad for his next fight.
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“We’ve got offers from all over,” Gerafa told Wide World of Sports.
“We are the world number two in the IBF, number three in the WBA, and now Munguia, who is ranked in the WBO, has made an official offer to fight me in America.
“I also got potential opponents with GGG and Falcão. We are in a very good position with three big potential fights.
“This is a great position.”
Gerafa said he would consider his options with his team over the weekend, but acknowledged that a possible World Cup fight against Falcao was not his option.
“We are open to anything that will help us move forward,” he said.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“There are three good offers, so we’ll sit down and work out which one is best.”
“If it were up to me to jump on a plane tonight and fight with him, I would be interested in fighting Munguia,” he added.
“I believe I can beat him, I’ve seen him a few times, he fought Dennis Hogan’s (in 2019) teammate Australia and I won that fight though Hogan.
“He makes a lot of mistakes that I think we can capitalize on.”
Overwhelmed by Munguya’s weaknesses, Gerafa explained that he had hoped for the upper hand.
“His defense is not the best, he relies heavily on his strength,” he noted.
“He just tries to walk forward, he doesn’t have the best footwork.
“I’ve fought and beaten a lot of fighters like this. It’s easy to defeat them. Honestly, he’s a good fighter, a world-class fighter, a former world champion, but he’s a man, he can beat.”
Gerafa said he did not care where the fight took place – “I will fight him in my backyard if I have to” – but at some point reiterated his desire to bring the World Cup fight to Australia.
Isaac Hardman, 30, was killed in his most recent fight in Melbourne in April and said he returned to direct training, including running the 8km the next day.
“Yeah, that’s 100 percent true,” he said with a laugh.
“I haven’t had a day off since. Not a single day. We went to the after party, went to bed at about four in the morning, and I got up at six in the morning and went back to the gym for lunch.
“We’re moving forward. People were saying, ‘You fought yesterday.’
“That’s right, it was yesterday. I’m moving on to something bigger and better now, it’s time to train harder.
“I am my prime, at my peak, physically and mentally and I want to seize the opportunity with both hands.”
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