The panorama of the 168-pound division remains in the focus of attention of specialists ahead of the confrontation that Mexican boxer Saúl Canelo Álvarez will hold for the world championship of the World Boxing Council.

Regarding this commitment, American coach Brian “BoMac” McIntyre analyzed the conditions of the challenge that represents facing the current holder of the green and gold belt.

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The North American strategist has direct references about the performance in the ring of the boxer of Cameroonian origin, whom he observed closely during the card last September in Las Vegas. Based on that technical experience, McIntyre projected a highly physically demanding scenario for the Jalisco challenger once the fight takes place in the Middle East.

“It won't be a piece of cake for Canelo, I promise you,” the coach said in an interview with the specialized channel Fight Hype. Describing the pressure style that characterizes the performance of the current super middleweight champion, the boxing coach added about his level of resistance in the ring: “Mbilli is a damn warrior and fights until the last second.”

Physical exhaustion and skill parity

The perspective of McIntyre's work team is aimed at evaluating the accumulated wear and tear that the Mexican challenger could suffer even if he obtains a favorable result on the official cards. The technical analysis highlights that Mbilli's constant hitting volume will force high-intensity preparation to neutralize attacks on soft areas.

According to the strategist's statements to the aforementioned information source, the definition of the fight will depend on the assimilation of the pace of combat by both corners. "Will his skills prevail or will Canelo's prevail? That remains to be seen," analyzed the manager, also concluding that an eventual victory for Canelo Álvarez will represent a high physical cost for the close of his sports season, pointing out that "if Canelo wins, it will probably take its toll on him."

Questions to decisions in the final stage of the career

The verbal controversy extended to Canelo Álvarez's true motivations for accepting a challenge of these characteristics in this period of his career in paid boxing. McIntyre pointed out that the age and the number of battles accumulated by the man from Guadalajara complicate the planning of combats that require constant exchanges of blows at close range.

The boxing coach suggested that negotiations and commercial offers influence Canelo Álvarez to accept this type of high-risk fights today. "That bastard Mbilli fights you face to face. Does Canelo want a fight like that at this age? Probably not. Are they leading him to accept fights of that level for the guaranteed money he receives? Probably yes," the analyst detailed in his talk with Fight Hype about the financial aspect of the commercial agreement.

The postponement of the super middleweight card

The fight for the absolute 168-pound title, originally planned for next September 12, is awaiting official confirmation on its new schedule. Reports from the organizing committee indicate that the actions on the Riyadh ring will be provisionally moved to the last weeks of October.

This modification of the sports calendar represents an advantage for the training plans of both corners by adding five additional weeks of physical work. In this way, Canelo Álvarez's return to training will be extended with the purpose of reaching the regulation weight and the mobility necessary to face the pressure from Mbilli.