Munguía’s Tijuana Homecoming Takes a Shocking Surace Turn
Reports in September 2024 described Ronald Gavril as a possible opponent for Jaime Munguía’s hoped-for December homecoming in Tijuana. The matchup was never announced. Munguía instead fought Bruno Surace on December 14, 2024, and was knocked out in the sixth round in front of his hometown crowd, according to Top Rank.
Gavril features in early discussions
Munguía entered the final months of 2024 after a busy year that included a January stoppage of John Ryder, a unanimous-decision loss to Canelo Álvarez in May, and a knockout win over Erik Bazinyan in September. Reports said he wanted another fight in Tijuana, but the available coverage described Gavril as a possibility while negotiations were still developing.
Gavril had previously challenged David Benavidez twice. He knocked Benavidez down in their September 2017 meeting before losing a split decision, then lost their February 2018 rematch by unanimous decision. Those earlier bouts explained why his name surfaced in the homecoming discussion, but they did not make a Munguía–Gavril fight official.
Surace delivers the upset
Munguía’s opponent was Surace, not Gavril. Surace recovered from a second-round knockdown and landed a counter right hand in the sixth round to stop the Mexican boxer. The result ended Munguía’s 2024 campaign with a second professional defeat and was a major upset; Top Rank’s event report confirms the finish and the Tijuana venue.
The homecoming ended with Surace celebrating a victory after recovering from an early setback. Munguía’s busy year had included established names and a return to Tijuana, but its final contest produced the unexpected knockout that defined the December event.
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Munguía, Boxing, Combat sports
