Canelo Álvarez reclaims WBC super‑middleweight title in Riyadh

UPDATE - follow-up to Canelo Álvarez v Christian Mbilli: WBC super-middleweight championship – live: Canelo Álvarez defeated Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision to capture the WBC super‑middleweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The judges scored the bout 115‑112, 116‑111 and 117‑110 in Álvarez’s favour. The fight proceeded despite recent Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital, a backdrop Álvarez acknowledged in a brief Spanish‑language address. He thanked his family, his team members Eddy Reynoso and Chepo Reynoso, and noted the emotional weight of winning his first title in over two decades. Álvarez, who lost his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford 13 months earlier, entered the ring for the first time since 2022. In the eighth round, Mbilli was deducted a point for an illegal blow to the head, a decision confirmed by referee Hector Afu. French champion Mbilli, hesitant to engage, never secured a knockout, and his performance drew criticism from trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, who said Mbilli would have been stopped by an earlier version of Álvarez. The event featured national anthems of Saudi Arabia, France and Mexico before a muted, pyrotechnic‑free ring walk. With the scores tallied, Álvarez becomes a three‑time super‑middleweight champion.

Context

The fight marked Álvarez’s return to the ring after a year‑long hiatus and highlighted the growing presence of major boxing events in the Middle East despite regional security concerns.