Jaime Munguia overcomes slow start to TKO Jimmy Kelly in 5

Jaime Munguia may have started slowly in his 165-pound boxing bout against Jimmy Kelly but scored three knockdowns to stop Kelly in round 5. 

Former super welterweight WBO boxing champion Jaime Munguia stepped up to 165 pounds and got the win against Jimmy Kelly, but it was a slow start for the former champion.

Munguia (39-0, 31 KOs) hoped for a major bout against Jermall Charlo but had to take a stay-busy fight against the U.K.’s Jimmy Kelly (26-2, 10 KOs) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on June 11.

Kelly started the fight well, but Munguia proved to have superior power.

In round 1, Munguia started on the back foot, which was strange, but that changed after a minute. Munguia took the center of the ring and kept Kelly cautious with his jab. Kelly tried to counter, but Mungia was sharper.

Munguia established control in round 2. He stayed patient but applied pressure until Kelly landed a combination that sent Munguia backward. Munguia handled the moment well and came back with his right hand.

Jaime Munguia remained undefeated after stopping Jimmy Kelly in round 5

Overall, it was a good round for Kelly, but Munguia looked to be inching towards causing damage.

Munguia jumped on Kelly in round 3. His patience went out the window as he tried to bring the fight to Kelly. Kelly fought back, but Munguia’s power slowly broke him down.

Kelly tried to amp up his offense in round 4, but Munguia warmed up and pressed forward like a tank. Munguia’s punches took a toll, but Kelly offered a left hook in defiance that rocked Munguia.

Munguia kept moving forward, and a brawl erupted in the final 30 seconds. Both fighters had their moments, but Kelly’s offense surprised the most.

Munguia went low in round 5 but came back high with hooks that stunned Kelly. Kelly tried to work the jab, but Munguia was set on delivering a stoppage, and he found it.

In the final minute and a half, Munguia nailed Kelly with a left hook that sent Kelly down. Kelly got up and but Munguia sent him down with a right uppercut.

Kelly got up again, but Munguia landed a right to the body and followed with a combination that knocked Kelly down for a third time. Kelly made it to his feet, but the referee called the bout giving Munguia the round 5 TKO victory.

Munguia remained undefeated but is still on the search for a middleweight title shot. Hopefully, he will get his chance soon.