Saul “Canelo” Alvarez won another title over the weekend while making a ton of money and looking damn good in the ring. So why is it so easy to feel sorry for him?
The deserving Mexican legend got past a quick start from reigning WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli, then pounded the essentially unknown underdog champ’s will to win out of him and took his belt via a unanimous decision on Saturday in front of a disinterested crowd in a small arena in Riyadh. The start of the fight was delayed for about an hour, reportedly because Turki Al-Sheikh, the Saudis’ sweet science point man, couldn’t be bothered to show up on time.
When the opening bell finally rang, Mbilli started strong. The undefeated 31-year-old Frenchman, who won his first belt last year with a vicious first-round knockout of Maciej Sulecki, was not only younger, bigger and faster than the grizzled veteran, he was also busier. Mbilli was shoving Canelo into corners and throwing punches in bunches. Canelo was accurate with his counters, but Mbili was more than holding his own early on. In the third round, when Canelo had his back against the ropes, he began pounding his own chest and inviting Mbilli to take more shots at him. Canelo had made the very same gestures during a 2022 loss to light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, perhaps to fire himself up, but in that case ended up bringing himself more pain.
Mbilli, as Canelo likely assumed going in and surely knows now, is no Bivol. He’s no Canelo, either. Throwing punches and landing them are two different matters. Only a small percentage of Mbilli’s blows found their target in meaningful fashion. And Mbilli eventually fell into the trap Canelo set for him, coming inside and staying there long enough to regret it. Canelo wobbled Mbilli with a big uppercut during an exchange in the sixth round, then hurt him again with the very same punch a round later. Those wallops, along with a point deduction for an egregious shot to the back of Canelo’s head in the seventh, sapped whatever will Mbilli had come into the fight with. Canelo was suddenly the aggressor, and over the second half of the fight Mbilli appeared progressively more determined to merely go the distance. Canelo didn’t rest or let his dithering opponent cruise, however. He had another belt to win, and a legacy to enhance. In the 12th and final round, Canelo blatantly went for a stoppage and landed several heavy head shots with right hooks and body blows from both fists. Mbilli ate the blows and even nailed Canelo with a couple of his own, but, as a fighter not out to actually win would, offered no follow-up. The disengagement strategy was as puzzling as it was frustrating.
When the bell rang ending the bout, Mbilli raised his right hand high as a winner might. But by then it had seemed obvious for some time that Mbilli’s only goal was to go out on his feet, so perhaps he really did feel as if his mission were accomplished. But ring announcer Michael Buffer soon disclosed what everybody inside the Riyadh arena or watching the stream knew: Canelo won comfortably on the judges’ cards, and was once again super middleweight champion of the world. Canelo has now won 17 titles in four different weight classes, from light middleweight to light heavyweight, and has been a unified champ in three divisions. The win opens Canelo’s third stint as super middleweight champ; his last run atop the division ended with a loss to Terence “Bud” Crawford in September of 2025 in Las Vegas. (Crawford gave up the belts and retired after that megafight.)
Along with recapturing his spot atop the 168-pound class, Canelo now reappears on Boxrec’s sought-after pound-for-pound rankings. His career record stands 64-3-2 and his only losses are to Floyd Mayweather, Bivol, and Crawford. No bum in that bunch. Canelo’s been world famous since he was a teenager and by now has gotten in the ring with every worthy fighter of his generation. Yet for all the big-name opposition, Canelo has never been knocked down, let alone out, while notching more than 500 rounds as a pro. The only question left unanswered at this point for fight fans is how Canelo would react if put in a real pickle, since he’s never even been obviously hurt in any of his many big fights.
Canelo was paid $47 million for the Mbilli bout. Yet he deserved better than what he got, given his standing in the sport. There was no real buzz heading into the weekend, even among fight fans. Putting the event in a war zone didn’t help. There had been talk for months of removing the fight to a less hostile location, but Al-Sheikh resisted. The final pre-fight press conference was disrupted by a civil defense emergency from the Saudi government related to Iranian attacks, but went on anyway. Since it was taking place on Halloween in North America, Canelo had said during the promotional tour that he wanted the fight to start early enough so fans could watch and then go out trick or treating with their kids. But Al-Sheikh’s late arrival disrupted Canelo’s plan. The announcers on the DAZN network, which broadcast the fight internationally, told viewers that Al-Sheikh’s late arrival was holding everything up. Perhaps he was scared of getting blown up, or wasn’t that into the fight, either. (Social media was full of posts during the bout showing Al-Sheikh not paying attention.)
Canelo is still contractually obligated to Al-Shiekh’s Riyadh Season promotion, and needs one more fight to complete the reported $400 million deal. He has earned the right to go out in a Guadalajara or Mexico City stadium before 100,000 countrymen. But nobody should hold their breath for any such farewell. Happy departures, for one, are hard to come by in boxing. And who’s left for Canelo to fight?
