It’s the story of a little Frenchman who got into a ring in Tijuana in front of 30,000 spectators to play sparring, finally leaving having turned on the air conditioning and extinguished the local glory. Boxer Bruno Surace, 26, achieved an authentic feat on Saturday evening in Mexico, winning by knockout against Jaime Munguia in the (more) aptly named Estadio Caliente.
The performance is enormous. Because Munguia was the WBC’s number 2 challenger in the super middleweight category (-76 kg), whose only defeat so far came last May on points against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the megastar of the category with his three world belts, and who was to face Frenchman Christian Mbilli in the coming months to find out who would have the honor of challenging Canelo again.
“Rocky in real life”
Bruno Surace was just a stopping point on this path for the Mexican. The Marseillais is not just anyone either, undefeated since his time among the professionals, but he belongs to the category below, that of middleweight (-72.5 kg) and he is not known to be a spectacular puncher, winning only four of his 25 victories before the limit. Well, that was before.
After suffering a storm of blows in the second round, including a left hook sending him to the mat and almost to the locker room, Surace managed his business perfectly, waiting for Munguia to tire out and finally let his guard down.
In the sixth round, after a series of two left uppercuts from the Mexican, El Frances shifted and placed a devastating right hook in his opponent’s face. Although the latter fought to get up, it was over. “Rocky in real life, the surprise of the year!! “, reacted the famous boxing writer and journalist Dan Rafael, probably like hundreds of thousands of fans.
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Even those closest to Bruno Surace had to pinch themselves to believe it. Ask Hamid Zaïm, his historic manager, who has been at his side since he was 18. He’d had a Saturday that was too busy to last until the middle of the night, and when his wife broke the news to him when he woke up Sunday morning, it took him a little while to realize. “I was a little shocked. It was impossible. Well, impossible… I didn’t believe it, he says, smiling. She had to show me the image of her victory on the phone. The hairs stood up on my arms and I had a lot of chills. »
A victory that will change everything
A boxing figure in the Ardennes, Hamid Zaïm built the career of the Southerner, which began in Marseille before coming to the Grand-Est to join trainer Mourad “Kayser” Haddu, Zaïm’s associate. The latter organized his first French championship, then his first European championship, last year. Although Bruno Surace then signed with NAPA (Noble Art du Pays d’Aix) to benefit from the support of the city, he did not distance himself from his two mentors.
“It’s truly exceptional what he did,” continues Hamid Zaïm about his protégé. It’s a benchmark victory for him, plus this magnificent KO. It will change everything for him. » From 57th place in the world, the Frenchman will move up to 7th, and enter a new circle, that of the challengers who count.
Well deserved tourism
The question of its category will arise, between medium and super-middleweight. In any case, this big fan of OM, holder of a law degree and a master’s degree in sports organization, will be very courted by the promoters. First, he will already see if Jaime Munguia demands the revenge provided for in the contract.
Bruno Surace’s relatives who accompanied him to Mexico called Hamid Zaïm on Sunday morning to warn him that, “of course”, they would see each other as soon as they returned. “It’s Bruno who holds the cards now,” the manager projects. In the meantime, the person decided to stay a few days in Mexico to do a little sightseeing. He deserved it.
