Robles says Christian Mbilli’s pressure and toughness will create serious problems for Canelo Alvarez in September
Manny Robles believes Christian Mbilli is exactly the kind of pressure fighter who could create major problems for Canelo Alvarez in September. The veteran trainer said Canelo is “not taking an easy fight” after a year out of the ring and warned that Mbilli’s aggression and workrate will test the Mexican star.
Robles gave his thoughts on the September 12 fight while in Egypt this week, where he warned that WBC super middleweight champion Mbilli will present a difficult test for Canelo after a year out of the ring.
“Canelo’s not taking an easy fight, is he? And Mbilli is no pushover. Yeah. Yeah. And Mbilli is a very very good fighter. Tough, come forward. I believe Canelo’s going to have his hands full for sure. But Canelo’s Canelo. You know, definitely one of the best fighters in the world,” said Robles to Ring Magazine.
Robles stopped short of picking a winner, but his comments line up with concerns some fans have already raised about Canelo returning against an aggressive pressure fighter after spending a year out of the ring following his loss to Terence Crawford last September.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) has built his reputation on constant pressure, heavy volume punching, and physical strength at 168 pounds. The unbeaten contender has also pushed for a Canelo fight publicly for more than a year, repeatedly saying he believes the timing is right.
The September fight is expected to headline a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia. Canelo, 35, will enter the bout trying to avoid a second straight defeat after the Crawford loss stalled his recent run at the top of the sport.
