Alvarez vs Mbilli - WBC Super Middleweight confirmed Oct. 31

[bisdak40]

Mbilli might have the power, but I don't think that it will be enough to bet Canelo. We know that Canelo could have been aging, and the wear and tear, but with the right opponent, it could still bring out the best out of Alvarez.

So yeah, Mbilli is not on the level of Canelo, but still Canelo wanted to hype this fight as this is his comeback and he want his fans to still watch him as he is still one of the cash cow of boxing even though others might think that he is going out of his career.

This is the first fight of Canelo after his loss to Crawford so their team are seeing to it that this could be a win for him, though i think that Mbilli would make Canelo good in his comeback fight but personally i'm hoping that Mbilli would stage an upset. I agree that Mbilli is not on Canelo's level but considering that Canelo is on a decline i have high hopes that there would be an upset on this fight.

[Botnake]

Not bad, his opponent is a champion and still undefeated, and he also has a high KO rate with 24 knockouts out of 29 wins.

I’m not familiar with this fighter, but judging from his record here, https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/785657, you can tell we might be seeing an exciting fight.
I just hope he is not as quick as Crawford, so we can see more of a toe-to-toe battle.

For this fight, I think I’m rooting for Mbilli to win, especially if he is the underdog.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Mbilli might have the power, but I don't think that it will be enough to bet Canelo. We know that Canelo could have been aging, and the wear and tear, but with the right opponent, it could still bring out the best out of Alvarez.

So yeah, Mbilli is not on the level of Canelo, but still Canelo wanted to hype this fight as this is his comeback and he want his fans to still watch him as he is still one of the cash cow of boxing even though others might think that he is going out of his career.

This is the first fight of Canelo after his loss to Crawford so their team are seeing to it that this could be a win for him, though i think that Mbilli would make Canelo good in his comeback fight but personally i'm hoping that Mbilli would stage an upset. I agree that Mbilli is not on Canelo's level but considering that Canelo is on a decline i have high hopes that there would be an upset on this fight.

I guess at some point, we all wanted to see some upset win in boxing. Just like what we have seen in the Crawford vs Canelo fight. Fans thought that Crawford is not on the level of Canelo as he is moving two weight classes, but Crawford prove us wrong with that big upset.

Will Canelo fall on this twice in his career?

That's why if Canelo still wanted to gain his reputation, although he has cemented his legacy already. But still he needed to win this fight and be a world champion again.

[leea-1334]

Will Canelo fall on this twice in his career?

That's why if Canelo still wanted to gain his reputation, although he has cemented his legacy already. But still he needed to win this fight and be a world champion again.

If it is worth it,,, he will  And I am not just saying that in a mean way as to say he could be bribed or anything nothing like this I am just saying sometimes at this stage for some people their agents are the ones calculating and strategizing.

At this stage Canelo already has a reputation and cannot improve or decrease it IMO,,, every decision now is about how to maximize the financial potential.

Call me cynic but this is how I feel these days

[Alphakilo]

Will Canelo fall on this twice in his career?

That's why if Canelo still wanted to gain his reputation, although he has cemented his legacy already. But still he needed to win this fight and be a world champion again.

If it is worth it,,, he will  And I am not just saying that in a mean way as to say he could be bribed or anything nothing like this I am just saying sometimes at this stage for some people their agents are the ones calculating and strategizing.

At this stage Canelo already has a reputation and cannot improve or decrease it IMO,,, every decision now is about how to maximize the financial potential.

Call me cynic but this is how I feel these days

Canelo certainly has a lot to prove after his encounter with Crawford last time and with Mbilli being elevated to full champion, it's a perfect set up to get Canelo a title he thinks he deserves because well, he is much a favorite for the Mexicans and has a good fighting IQ that stands a better chance of dismantling Mbilli.
I can't overrule the underdog in this case of which is Mbilli, because this is a one in a life time opportunity to get up the ladder even though everyone seems confident that Canelo has the upper hand.
Mbilli is hungry but got nothing to lose and that makes him a worthy opponent I can surely bet on to defeat Canelo.

[fullfitlarry]

Canelo certainly has a lot to prove after his encounter with Crawford last time and with Mbilli being elevated to full champion, it's a perfect set up to get Canelo a title he thinks he deserves because well, he is much a favorite for the Mexicans and has a good fighting IQ that stands a better chance of dismantling Mbilli.
I can't overrule the underdog in this case of which is Mbilli, because this is a one in a life time opportunity to get up the ladder even though everyone seems confident that Canelo has the upper hand.
Mbilli is hungry but got nothing to lose and that makes him a worthy dangerous opponent I can surely bet on to defeat Canelo.

Fix that for you, that could be the risk for Canelo. A fighter that has nothing to lose but everything to gain. So he might as well throw everything in this fight and if Canelo miscalculate Mbili as easy opponent then that could be his downfall as he can't afford a back to back L.

He should have a game plan and not to start slow like in the Crawford fight. Canelo needs to work harder, because precision sometimes didn't work and beat volume punching. Classic example is his fight with Bivol wherein Canelo might be precise, but Bivol is throwing a lot of punches that judges only see that volume even if it didn't hurt Canelo.

[GreatArkansas]

Reach, height, and age are in favor of Christian Mbilli, plus being undefeated is a plus here against the veteran Canlo Alvarez!
For me, I'm going small bet for Christian Mbilli here, the stat says it all. Only the plus of Canelo Alvarez here is the experience, still, we all know how Alvarez fight inside the ring, risky.

[coinrifft]

And for those who are not unfamiliar with Mbili here is a highlights of his fights:



Body type is more stockier than Canelo if you are going to look at it. And yes, he throws a lot of punches with bad intent. And once it hits the target, usually they go down from it and the power is there and you will have to fold.

[leea-1334]

Mbilli is hungry but got nothing to lose and that makes him a worthy opponent I can surely bet on to defeat Canelo.

I for one cannot wait to see your bet being shared Lots of people saying they will bet here and there and not much on the forums to show this is the case  

Be more like @GreatArkansas,,, says he will take a bet and does so and proves it!

And this is why I chose to his reasoning, completely makes sense  

[LogitechMouse]

---
Mbili is a strong power puncher with a wicked left hook, but he is slow and stiff; many of the fighters he has knocked out were easy targets. With Canelo, I don't think he can do what he did to his previous opponents; he is still undefeated with 29 wins and 24 fights, looks impressive, but not so when facing Canelo.

I expect Canelo to regain his WBC Super Middleweight title

I don't know that much about Mbili, but I've watched his highlights, and he really is a power puncher based on how he fights in the ring.

Experience-wise, Alvarez has way more compared to this fighter, but we can't deny the fact that 24 of his 29 wins came by the way of Knockout so this fighter can box. Well, the one that he will be fighting is the boxer that hasn't been knocked down in his whole professional career and aside from that, he's also a great counter-puncher. Many consider James Kirkland as a power puncher, but look how Canelo toyed him in their last fight. I'm not saying that Mbili will end up the same as Kirkland, but a power puncher like him will have a hard time defeating a boxer that's more experienced, and way better compared to him.

Like you, I also expect Canelo regaining the title as well, but let's see. Many are rooting Mbili as well because he's a great boxer. I think it's been a long time since we see Canelo isn't a huge favorite in a title fight.

[coin-investor]

This fight that we expect to happen in September will not happen, instead it is pushed to late October

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Canelo has now revealed that there was no injury or issues with the promotion, rather family matters that saw him push it back. He also confirmed that the fight will now take place on October 31.

“Some problems in my family, so I needed to fix … I’m always very disciplined, organised with my training camps, and I wasn’t ready to be training, so that’s why I postponed the fight – because I needed to attend family [matters]. But, all good now, ready to train, and [it’s] gonna be October 31. Yeah, Halloween, that’s the new date.”

Canelo Alvarez finally announces new date for Mbilli comeback fight and reveals reason for delay

Canelo did the right thing, he needs this fight and he wants his training to be on a high level as he is fighting a tough fighter, he doesn't want his comeback to be jeopardize by sticking to original date of the match, so I request OP to change the date in the title.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

This fight that we expect to happen in September will not happen, instead it is pushed to late October

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Canelo has now revealed that there was no injury or issues with the promotion, rather family matters that saw him push it back. He also confirmed that the fight will now take place on October 31.

“Some problems in my family, so I needed to fix … I’m always very disciplined, organised with my training camps, and I wasn’t ready to be training, so that’s why I postponed the fight – because I needed to attend family [matters]. But, all good now, ready to train, and [it’s] gonna be October 31. Yeah, Halloween, that’s the new date.”

Canelo Alvarez finally announces new date for Mbilli comeback fight and reveals reason for delay

Canelo did the right thing, he needs this fight and he wants his training to be on a high level as he is fighting a tough fighter, he doesn't want his comeback to be jeopardize by sticking to original date of the match, so I request OP to change the date in the title.

But he said that the reason for the push of date is because of family matters. I can't find any more elaborate reasons as what family matters or issues he is talking about. Does he need more time to spend with his family that's why he just decided to push it? If that is the case then maybe his mind is not on boxing anymore. Or there could be a deeper reason? Your guess is as good as much.

There are even rumors that most believed that reason why he moved the date is that to avoid a clash with the [Boxing] Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn - WBC Welterweight Title - Sept.12.

[X-ray]

This fight that we expect to happen in September will not happen, instead it is pushed to late October

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Canelo has now revealed that there was no injury or issues with the promotion, rather family matters that saw him push it back. He also confirmed that the fight will now take place on October 31.

“Some problems in my family, so I needed to fix … I’m always very disciplined, organised with my training camps, and I wasn’t ready to be training, so that’s why I postponed the fight – because I needed to attend family [matters]. But, all good now, ready to train, and [it’s] gonna be October 31. Yeah, Halloween, that’s the new date.”

Canelo Alvarez finally announces new date for Mbilli comeback fight and reveals reason for delay

Canelo did the right thing, he needs this fight and he wants his training to be on a high level as he is fighting a tough fighter, he doesn't want his comeback to be jeopardize by sticking to original date of the match, so I request OP to change the date in the title.

But he said that the reason for the push of date is because of family matters. I can't find any more elaborate reasons as what family matters or issues he is talking about. Does he need more time to spend with his family that's why he just decided to push it? If that is the case then maybe his mind is not on boxing anymore. Or there could be a deeper reason? Your guess is as good as much.

There are even rumors that most believed that reason why he moved the date is that to avoid a clash with the [Boxing] Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn - WBC Welterweight Title - Sept.12.

This makes more sense rather than using family as an excuse to postpone the game. If Alvarez vs Mbilli will happen at the same time with Ry vs Benn, so it's obviously getting less hype. So they have to postpone this in order to keep the hype around. 

If i were to choose which match to watch when it's happening at the same time, i'd be going for Ry vs Benn as my priority. So this is a sense reason for teh postponement.

[coinrifft]

Yes, it might not be a rumor, as Alvarez and Garcia still has that kind of relationship as once they were under Eddy Reynoso. So I do agree that it make sense that it Canelo doesn't want to have the same date as most likely he want Garcia to take the limelight before him.

But the one thing that caught my attention base on the links is that Canelo said that he still has a good 4 fights in him. That is still a lot but depends on how he is going to fight? Will he be giving David Benavidez his due?

[coin-investor]

But the one thing that caught my attention base on the links is that Canelo said that he still has a good 4 fights in him. That is still a lot but depends on how he is going to fight? Will he be giving David Benavidez his due?

Benavidez is not on his list, and he stated that he will never fight Benavidez; according to him, it's unfair for him to be pitted against Benavidez.

"He's a heavyweight fighting in 175[lb], or cruiserweight, or something. But he's a heavyweight. It's not fair.

"When I turned undisputed [at super-middleweight for the second time], if he would be a champion at that point, that's the correct time to do the fight. But he wasn't, and he was fighting at 168[lb] at that point, but he wasn't a champion."

Canelo Alvarez addresses David Benavidez ‘duck’ accusations after rearranging fight: ‘It’s not fair’

Maybe if Benavidez agreed to go down to his weight level, then promoters could offer Canelo for a match, but I doubt it, seeing how Benavidez mauled and dismissed his opponents.
Canelo doesn't want to ruin his reputation and his legacy; he is retiring soon, and he wants an easy fight, just like this Mbilli fight.

[red4slash]

Now WBC, (obviously they love their fellow Mexican Canelo Alvarez), ordered this fight as Mbilli was elevated as champion. So this is another chance for Canelo to win one of his belt back.

The age difference is quite noticeable but on the one hand experience may be able to close this age difference especially this is Canelo who anyone will be very difficult to rule out this fight.

Looking at the type of fighter for these 2 boxers there is actually a little similarity, different when Canelo fights Terence Crawford who prioritizes strategy.

I think the tempo will be quite fast in this fight if you look at the characteristics of 2 boxers who always rely on aggressiveness as their form of attack. But the advantage for Canelo here is that he only needs to defend with distance because Mbilli will maximize close range as the focus of attack and when Canelo can keep the distance then this can be an advantage that is difficult to deny especially long range uppercut is still quite strong for now.

[DanWalker]

The age difference is quite noticeable but on the one hand experience may be able to close this age difference especially this is Canelo who anyone will be very difficult to rule out this fight.

Canelo will be underestimated if we only look at age difference.
Also it would be wrong to underestimate Mbili's current form just because of experience. Mbili is in his best form right now, also he himself has said that he will continue to apply high pressure and lot of attack from start to finish.

But the advantage for Canelo here is that he only needs to defend with distance because Mbilli will maximize close range as the focus of attack and when Canelo can keep the distance then this can be an advantage that is difficult to deny especially long range uppercut is still quite strong for now.

If Canelo just tries to maintain distance then he could fall behind on points due to Mbilli's constant pressure and work rate. I think Canelo will have to not only counter but also slow down Mbilli with heavy body shot at time.

Again, if Mbilli is as aggressive as before by leaving gaps in his defense then Canelo's timing and counter hooks/uppercuts could make him pay a big price.


Anyway, OP fullfitlarry, this thread still says fight will be in September. Canelo has postponed his training camp due to family reason, so this fight will now take place in late October. Could you please update the title of this thread?

[red4slash]

But the advantage for Canelo here is that he only needs to defend with distance because Mbilli will maximize close range as the focus of attack and when Canelo can keep the distance then this can be an advantage that is difficult to deny especially long range uppercut is still quite strong for now.

If Canelo just tries to maintain distance then he could fall behind on points due to Mbilli's constant pressure and work rate. I think Canelo will have to not only counter but also slow down Mbilli with heavy body shot at time.

Again, if Mbilli is as aggressive as before by leaving gaps in his defense then Canelo's timing and counter hooks/uppercuts could make him pay a big price.

Precisely this will be where the excitement of this fight lies because both boxers are actually quite aggressive but in their own way.
Mbilli is a close aggressive boxer and Canelo is quite an aggressive boxer with his distance so when both fighters know each other's distance then definitely the safest way is to play with their style. But Mbilli's advantage will now be more pronounced in stamina due to the age difference and if we look at the series of defeats Canelo has he sometimes can't gain momentum when fighting taller opponents and when opponents have more flexible techniques like when he lost to Bivol and Crawford.

If Mbilli can maximise this advantage then I'm pretty sure he can get the win but when Mbilli comes with his usual style but not technique then I'll be on Canelo's side.

[aioc]

and if we look at the series of defeats Canelo has he sometimes can't gain momentum when fighting taller opponents and when opponents have more flexible techniques like when he lost to Bivol and Crawford.

If Mbilli can maximise this advantage then I'm pretty sure he can get the win but when Mbilli comes with his usual style but not technique then I'll be on Canelo's side.

You can't compare Mbilli to Bivol and Crawford; the skill-set gap is just too wide. Mbilli has accumulated wins and domination over his opponents because he can hit them,, but against an opponent that is elusive and an experienced counterpuncher, I don't think his chances are that good.

Mbilli is a hard puncher, but he is flat-footed, and Canelo is so good at exploiting his opponents who are flat-footed. Canelo is still good in his last fight, so he is my bet to win via knockout or unanimous decision.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Here's the latest on this time, Alvarez and Mbili sitting down for a face-off interview:



Good to see that Canelo has still the confidence, and still wanted all the smoke fighting at 168 lbs and with another chance for the WBC Belt.

Hamzah Sheeraz though for me is the man to beat in this division without Canelo having that belt in any division.