Canelo Alvarez’s win over Christian Mbilli offered a clear answer to the question that followed his loss to Terence Crawford: there’s still plenty of fight left in him. At 36, Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight title with a unanimous decision, using the defensive instincts of his youth to blunt Mbilli’s pressure.
Trainer Eddy Reynoso told BoxingScene that the preparation involved revisiting techniques Alvarez had learned as a teenager, when Reynoso first gave him the nickname “Little Canelo.” The habits had faded over the years, Reynoso said. Against Mbilli, they were back in use.
“Over time, we had stopped doing the things we did – actually, we had forgot about them,” Reynoso said. “So you saw old and new Canelo, back to when he was 15 years old.”
Distance and defense cooled Mbilli’s attack
Mbilli had shown he could thrive in a high-volume exchange, including in last year’s Fight of the Year candidate against unbeaten Lester Martinez. Alvarez denied him that kind of fight. He established his preferred range early, defended against the incoming offense and answered with counters.
“From the first round, [Alvarez] got the proper distance he wanted, and knew he was going to be able to do anything he wanted with counterpunching,” Reynoso said. He added that Mbilli couldn’t find a way through Alvarez’s defense or adjust to the strategy.
The judges scored the bout 116-111, 117-110 and 115-112. The victory moved Alvarez, whose record is 64-3-2 with 39 knockouts, past his 2025 defeat to Crawford and back into the title picture. He reportedly earned more than $40 million for the fight in Riyadh.
Reynoso said the team hopes to arrange a rematch with Crawford, who retired less than three months after beating Alvarez by unanimous decision. Crawford, now 42-0 with 31 knockouts, praised Alvarez in a post on X, calling him “cold” and saying it had been an honor to share the ring with him.
“We hope for a rematch with Crawford because this Canelo can beat anyone,” Reynoso said. “He can beat Crawford.”
A camp built around Alvarez’s health
Before the fight, the central concern was whether Alvarez could perform without the wrist and elbow problems that had hindered him in losses to Crawford and Dmitry Bivol. Reynoso said the team finished camp without injuries or complications.
Alvarez spent several weeks training in Spain, where he had access to medical support and worked alongside unbeaten former two-division undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. Reynoso said the doctors and exercises helped address problems and gave Alvarez a better preparation. He also said the time away from competition, following the Crawford loss, helped Alvarez return to training with the focus of a rookie.
“After that [undisputed title] loss with Crawford, Saul was just really, really sad,” Reynoso said. “But after he trained so hard, we can say we’re back. We are back!”
The win also set up possible opponents beyond Crawford. Reynoso named recent 168-pound titleholder Hamzah Sheeraz and new IBF belt holder Osleys Iglesias as potential targets. Martinez, the unbeaten WBC interim champion, will have to wait, though Reynoso said his opportunity will come.
“He deserves competition. He’s hungry. His time will come,” Reynoso said of Martinez.
Three title wins for Reynoso’s team in Riyadh
The event unfolded amid serious security concerns. Reynoso acknowledged that reports of 13 deaths at Riyadh airport and repeated warnings of possible attacks distracted fight teams and Saudi organizers during fight week. Trainer Robert Garcia and junior welterweight title challenger Lindolfo Delgado chose not to travel.
Reynoso made the trip with Alvarez, super middleweight titleholder Jaime Munguia and featherweight belt holder Rafael Espinoza. All three won their title fights Saturday.
For Reynoso, the result made the difficult camp and the doubts around Alvarez’s future feel distant. The next test is whether the Crawford rematch can be made. “He needs that second fight. Boxing needs that fight,” Reynoso said.
