Canelo vs. Mbilli Is a Done Deal: A Redemption Quest With Real Stakes
The former pound-for-pound king returns to the ring in September, but this time he is chasing a title that belongs to someone else.
Canelo Alvarez makes his ring walk RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — It is official. Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli have a done deal to fight in September in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the WBC super middleweight championship, according to The Ring's Mike Coppinger. The fight will be Canelo's first time back in the ring since his stunning defeat to Terence Crawford, and make no mistake, he is walking into a genuine fight.
Canelo Alvarez is supposed to be untouchable at super middleweight. He had unified the division, dominated it for years, and built a legacy that had serious pound-for pound conversations attached to it. Then came Crawford, and everything shifted.
The loss did not just hand Canelo a blemish on his record, it cracked open a real debate about where he stands as a fighter in the back half of his career. Is he still elite? Is the timing that made him great starting to erode?
September in Riyadh is supposed to answer that question. The pressure is entirely on Canelo to prove the Crawford fight was an anomaly, not a preview. Here is where things get genuinely interesting.