One of the biggest fights in professional boxing has a new date. Mexican fighter Saul Canelo Alvarez has officially confirmed that his return to the ring is scheduled for October 31. The champion's opponent will be Frenchman Christian Mbilli, and the venue will remain Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Reason for Rescheduling: Family Circumstances
Initially, the organizers considered September 12, but a decision was made back in June to cancel that date. Alvarez himself explained the reason for the schedule shift as personal. In an interview on Ariel Helwani's show, the boxer admitted he could not immediately start intensive training due to the need to spend time with his family.
"I am always very disciplined in my training and at that moment I was not ready to start the training camp. That is why I postponed the fight, because first I needed to visit my family. Now everything is fine, I am ready to train, and we will meet on October 31," the Mexican stated.
Canelo After the Loss to Crawford
This fight will be Saul Alvarez's first after a tough loss to Terence Crawford, which took place last September. It was in that fight that the Mexican lost his status as the undisputed world champion in the super middleweight division. Until that point, he had not lost since May 2022, and the upcoming meeting with Mbilli will be an important step for him to restore his reputation.
Who is Christian Mbilli?
Alvarez's opponent will be 31-year-old Frenchman of Cameroonian origin, Christian Mbilli. He has fought 30 times on the professional ring and has maintained his reputation as an undefeated fighter. Mbilli is already familiar to Canelo's fans: he stepped into the ring on the undercard of the Mexican's fight with Terence Crawford, where he fought against Lester Martinez. That fight ended in a draw, but the Frenchman managed to retain his WBC interim title in the light middleweight division.
In August 2024, Mbilli successfully defended his WBC world title by defeating Ukrainian Serhiy Derevyanchenko. Thus, Alvarez faces a difficult task: he is set to fight an experienced opponent who has never known defeat and feels confident in the elite of world boxing.
Context: Vasyl Lomachenko's Return
While the world awaits Canelo's return, other big names are also being actively discussed in the boxing world. Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko is preparing to return to the ring. His promoter, Igor Fanyan, shared his thoughts on the fighter's prospects and chances at this new stage of his career in an exclusive interview, adding intrigue to the overall picture of upcoming sporting events.
