By Jake Donovan

Later this evening, Jaime Munguia (31-0, 26KOs) prepares for the third defense of his super welterweight title reign as he faces unbeaten Takeshi Inoue (13-0-1, 7KOs).

The bout headlines a DAZN stream, live from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Munguia claimed the 154-pound belt just eight months ago, torching Sadam Ali in four rounds. The rising 22-year old from Tijuana, Mexico was a late substitute for Liam Smith, whom he’d defeat in his first defense last July. Most recently came a 3rd round knockout of Brandon Cook last September in Las Vegas.

Japan’s Inoue enters his first career title fight. The bout also marks his stateside debut, having spent the duration of his four-plus year career fighting exclusively in Asia.

In the evening’s chief support, Puerto Rico’s Jesus M. Rojas attempts the first defense of his featherweight title as he faces China’s Xu Can.

UNDERCARD (MORE RESULTS TO COME)

Alex Rincon couldn’t quite end his night as quickly as did his older brother George, nor was he able to keep his perfect knockout-to-win ratio intact. Still, the 23-year old Dallas-bred southpaw was able to preserve his unbeaten record with a six-round win over Puerto Rico’s Jeremy Ramos.

Scores were 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 in favor of Rincon (6-0, 5KOs), who’d previously never been past three rounds in a pro bout was given a stiff test in his home state. 

Ramos (10-6, 4KOs) has been inactive since a minor upset on the road in an April ’17 win over Jamar Freeman in North Carolina, having lost his previous four starts. The 31-year old full-time barber boldly marched into Rincon’s home state, taking the unbeaten prospects best punches and continued to come forward.

Argentina’s Alberto Melian remain a long way from living up to claims of being “the Argentine Vasiliy Lomachenko.” For now, the 29-year old super bantamweight is good enough to remain an unbeaten prospect, overcoming a rocky start to drop and stop Mexico’s Edgar Ortega (10-2-2, 5KOs) in the 10th and final round of their regional title fight.

A left hook put Ortega on the canvas for the first time in his career, with an ensuing flurry by Melian closing the show at 1:33 of round ten.

Melian (4-0, 2KOs), a two-time Olympian for Argentina who was making his stateside debut, overcame a rough start to begin outboxing Ortega in round three, but with the durable Mexican refusing to take a backwards step. Both fighters landed flush right hands during a spirited exchange in round four, with Melian getting the better of it but also catching a clean enough shot to convince him to box the rest of the way through.

That mentality changed in the 10th and final round. Melian—who was ahead 87-84, 88-83 and 90-81 at the time of the stoppage—saw an opening and took it, catching Ortega with a clean left hook to produce the bout's lone knockdown. Ortega beat the count, barely able to steady himself but permitted to continue. Melian jumped on the wounded prey, landing left hooks and straight right hands upstairs until forcing the stoppage.

Opening the show, George Rincon set the bar for his younger brother Alex to match or exceed. The 27-year old southpaw needed just 1:36 to get rid of Mexico’s Emmanuel Valadez in the evening’s curtain raiser.

Rincon (6-0, 3KOs) scored a knockdown less than a minute into the opening round, pummeling Valadez (5-7, 4KOs) to the body in forcing him to the canvas. A subsequent flurry of punches along the ropes forced an immediate stoppage with Valadez on his feet but defenseless and no longer throwing punches.