Christian Mbilli sees an older, slower Canelo Alvarez than the fighter in the knockout highlights, and his pressure could test how much the Mexican star has left. Canelo is scheduled to challenge for Mbilli’s WBC super middleweight title on October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thus far, the fight remains scheduled.
“He’s not the same guy right now,” Mbilli said while watching Canelo’s best stoppages in a video shared by DAZN Boxing.
Mbilli has a point. Canelo still has the timing to catch opponents, but his speed and activity no longer look the same. He attacks in shorter bursts, and his power at super middleweight hasn’t produced the stoppages he once delivered against smaller opposition.
Canelo’s last stoppage came against Caleb Plant in November 2021. He finished Plant in the 11th round to become undisputed at 168 pounds, but even that victory required patience against an opponent who made him work. Nearly five years later, those highlights show what Canelo could do then. Mbilli has to prepare for what he can do now.
There’s accumulated wear to consider, too. The first two Golovkin fights were demanding contests, while Dmitry Bivol repeatedly caught Canelo with combinations and forced him to work at a pace he couldn’t maintain successfully. Those fights may have contributed to the decline, although there’s no way to separate their effects from age.
The concern against Mbilli is what happens between Canelo’s attacks. If he needs longer pauses, Mbilli can use those stretches to throw combinations and make him defend instead of recover. Canelo could land the better individual punch and still lose rounds through inactivity.
Mbilli’s aggression also gives Canelo chances. Walking forward carelessly would leave him available for counters and body shots, and an older Canelo remains dangerous when opponents give him clean targets.
But Mbilli doesn’t need to prove Canelo has lost all his power. He needs to keep working after being caught. If Canelo can no longer discourage that pressure or match the pace, Mbilli’s observation could become the story of the fight.