Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez looks set to get an immediate opportunity to win back one of the world titles he lost to Terence Crawford in September last year.
Canelo, who held the undisputed super-middleweight title on two occasions, had not been beaten in the division until Crawford pulled it off. The American, who became a five-weight champion that night, retired shortly after, scattering the four belts.
While the WBO and IBF still remain vacant, Jose Armando Resendiz now holds the WBA, and the WBC – who actually stripped Crawford days before his retirement – has upgraded Christian Mbilli to full champion.
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Mbilli is the man expected to face Canelo in his September comeback fight, currently booked for Saudi Arabia, though the location may change due to the war in the Middle East.
Responding to a fan on X, Crawford backed Alvarez to become champion once more if things play out that way. “We gone see. I got Canelo though.”
Mbilli has said he wants the fight to happen. His trainer, Marc Ramsay, recently told Boxing News that they were awaiting instruction from the WBC on whether they could face Canelo – currently ranked number one – or would be ordered to face new interim champion Lester Martinez, a rematch following their draw on the Canelo-Crawford undercard last year.
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With the WBC seemingly now ordering Guatemala’s Martinez to defend his interim belt, it appears Mbilli is free to push ahead and make the biggest fight available to him. Alvarez, at 35, could be back at the top of the division in no time at all.
