Jaime Munguia to defend title against D’Mitrius Ballard, boxing event moved to April 23
EL PASO, Texas - Some slight changes have been made to this month's boxing event at the Don Haskins Center.
One of the fighters scheduled for the main event has pulled out of the fight, and the date of the event has been bumped up by just one day.
The event has been moved from Saturday, April 24, to Friday, April 23.
Fans who have already purchased tickets and would still like to attend the event do not need to buy anymore tickets.
The tickets that have already been purchased will still be valid on the new date.
Those who would like a refund, can go back to the original point of purchase and request a full refund.
Refund requests will be honored up until Wednesday, April 14.
As for the main event of the card there has been a slight adjustment.
Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) will still defend his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship after Maciej Sulecki was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury.
Munguia will now face middleweight contender D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (20-0-1, 13 KOs).
“D’Mitrius Ballard has been deserving of an opportunity like this for a while now,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This is the chance to finally demonstrate to the world that he’s ready for the top guys in the division. We wish Maciej Sulecki a quick recovery, but we also we want to emphasize that Ballard is no mere replacement. He’s a real threat.”
Ballard is a 28-year-old contender who's had a decorated amateur career in which he won several national championships.
In 2013, the native of Temple Hills, Maryland began his professional career with a knockout victory against Kelly Henderson.
Since then, Ballard has steadily moved up the rankings, taking on tough competitors such as Victor "Sina" Fonseca and Alan "Amenaza" Campa.
Ballard, who is anxious to make his mark on the division on April 23, is coming off a majority draw against Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao.
“I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to fight against Jaime Munguia,” said D’Mitrius Ballard. “I feel extremely blessed especially because of the condition the world is now in with COVID-19 and all the issues we are facing. This is the perfect opportunity to really showcase who D’Mitirus Ballard is and demonstrate my boxing abilities. I’m going to use this fight to re-introduce myself to the world.”
“These things happen in boxing, and I’ve always had the mentality that I have to be prepared for any opponent,” said Jaime Munguia. “I know that D’Mitrius Ballard is a great fighter with a lot of experience as an amateur and a professional, so I expect to deliver a great fight to get even closer to the world title opportunity.”
