Bruno Surace seemed to be a prototypical opponent promoters use for contracted champions or contenders they’re simply attempting to keep busy.

Unbeaten, but unproven at the highest level. Marginally credible, yet incapable of beating the heavily favored house fighter.

Surace’s record looked good on paper (25-0-2, 4 KOs). The undefeated Frenchman was solid enough to justify as legitimate, though his knockout ratio (15 percent) made him perfectly safe for a former champion known for his granite chin.

Until he wasn’t.

Late in the sixth round, an opportunistic Surace scored what will undoubtedly become boxing’s “Upset of the Year” for 2024 when he got great extension on a picturesque right hand that knocked Jaime Munguia flat on his back and off the comeback trail. A disoriented Munguia made it to his feet, just barely, before referee Juan Jose Ramirez counted to 10 on Saturday night at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico.

Ramirez determined, though, that a discombobulated Munguia shouldn’t continue. Just like that, in a stunning instant, Marseilles’ Surace changed his life at 2:36 of the sixth round, much to the surprise of Munguia’s adoring hometown fans.

Munguia, whose only previous loss came against pound-for-pound superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, entered the ring as a 35-1 favorite, according to FanDuel sportsbook. The 28-year-old former WBO junior middleweight champion had not been knocked out in any of his first 45 professional fights, not even by the heavy-handed Alvarez, who dropped Munguia in the fourth round on his way to a convincing 12-round, unanimous-decision win May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Munguia’s first fight following his loss to Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) was competitive, but Munguia eventually knocked out Armenian-born, Quebec-based contender Erik Bazinyan (32-1-1, 23 KOs) on September 20 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Surace was considered a much lesser puncher than Bazinyan, but technique and timing enabled him to decimate Munguia.

“I know that he is an excellent boxer,” Surace said. “So, we worked on our counter punches.”

Munguia appeared to be in complete control when Surace sabotaged a fan-friendly showdown – Munguia against Christian Mbilli – that might’ve happened in the first half of 2025. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. promotes Munguia and Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), who were ordered by the WBC at its annual convention last week in Hamburg, Germany, to fight next.

A left hook by Munguia to the side of his head knocked Surace to the canvas, beneath a bottom rope, barely 45 seconds into the second round. Surace reached his feet after Ramirez counted to eight.

The previously unknown underdog didn’t hold Munguia, even though there were more than two minutes to go in the second round when the action resumed. Once an aggressive Munguia tried to capitalize on that knockdown, Surace fired back in a way that demonstrated he wouldn’t go away quietly.

Still, Munguia mostly maintained control until Surace saw his opening and hammered Munguia with a devastating shot that changed the complexion of the super middleweight division.

Munguia seemingly must face the 26-year-old Surace again, though it wasn’t clear at the time this story was posted whether Munguia and Sarace had rematch clauses in their contracts.

“Middleweight is my true weight class,” Surace said. “But we will see if [a rematch] can happen.”

Featherweight: Alan David Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) KO 3 Yehison Cuello (13-3-1, 11 KOs), 1:55.

Junior Middleweight: Jorge Garcia (32-4, 26 KOs) UD 10 Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (20-4, 12 KOs), 97-92 and 99-90 2x.

Junior Featherweight: Sebastian Hernandez (18-0, 17 KOs) TKO 7 Sergio Martin Sosa (14-5, 3 KOs), 2:39.

Junior Lightweight: Juan Anacona (13-1, 6 KOs) UD 8 Christian Islas (11-3-1, 7 KOs), Scores: 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.