Canelo Alvarez in Cristian Mbilli's sights for the WBC super middleweight belt
Canelo Alvarez, from Guadalajara, is scheduled to return to the ring in September, although without a defined opponent he could face Cameroonian Mbilli
The World Boxing Council (WBC) officially named Christian Mbilli as the new regular 168-pound champion. Following this announcement, the Cameroonian boxer immediately placed Mexican Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on his list of priority targets.
Mbilli received the appointment during the WBC's traditional "Coffee Tuesdays" in Mexico City.
The African boxer is now the undisputed champion after the title previously held by Terence Crawford became vacant.
Christian Mbilli's Ambition
The new champion acknowledged the respect he feels for Canelo Alvarez's career in professional boxing. However, he stated that he is ready to accept the challenge of facing him in the near future. “For me, Canelo is still number one. It’s a very dangerous fight, but hopefully it can happen. I’ll talk to my team and, if there’s an opportunity, we’ll take it,” Mbilli said after being promoted to regular champion and being asked about the Mexican. During the WBC press conference, Mbilli indicated that a possible venue to face Canelo Alvarez would be Saudi Arabia. The fighter’s team will seek to initiate talks to finalize the fight in September. Mauricio Sulaiman’s support for this fight. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman did not rule out a future unification bout between Mbilli and Canelo Alvarez. The president explained that the new champion will have defensive obligations to fulfill soon. Sulaiman mentioned that the organization’s Board of Governors will define the path forward for the Cameroonian. Important names appear on that path, but the most attractive for the business remains Canelo Alvarez. The super middleweight division is experiencing a moment of great activity due to the quality of its fighters. In addition to Canelo Alvarez, fighters like Jaime Munguia and Hamzah Sheeraz are emerging on the scene. Mbilli has declared himself the man to beat now that he holds the regular title of the green and gold organization.The athlete is confident that his aggressive style will be enough to entice Canelo Alvarez into negotiations.
Next steps for the boxer from Guadalajara?
For now, Canelo Alvarez doesn't have an official commitment scheduled for September. This leaves a window of opportunity for promoters to assess the impact of a clash against Mbilli.
The boxer from Guadalajara usually chooses his challenges based on legacy and financial benefits. A fight against the new WBC champion, Canelo Alvarez, would represent defending his privileged position in the division.
Finally, Mbilli's team is hoping for a positive response to begin high-level training.