Canelo Alvarez will challenge WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli on October 31 in Saudi Arabia. Following elbow surgery, the Mexican legend aims to reclaim his throne after Terence Crawford’s retirement left the belts vacant. Canelo’s former sparring partner Yoenli Hernandez backs him to win.
Alvarez lost his undisputed super-middleweight crown to Terence Crawford last September. Canelo suffered a right elbow injury in that fight and underwent surgery earlier this year. But Crawford’s sudden retirement left all four 168lb belts vacant, allowing Mbilli to be elevated to full WBC champion. Now, Canelo is locked in for a lucrative comeback offer in Riyadh to top a mega ‘Mexico vs. The World’ fight card.
Cuban middleweight star Yoenli Hernandez sparred with Canelo ahead of the Crawford fight and knows how the legend works behind closed doors. Speaking to Sean Zittel, Hernandez dismissed any talk that Alvarez is past his best.
He stated: “Yes, definitely [he has enough left to beat Mbilli], when he is in that training camp he focuses in on and makes sure that he is ready for his guy.”
Hernandez believes Canelo still has plenty left to knock Mbilli off his newly acquired perch. He added: “He still has a lot in the tank, so that should be an interesting fight but I see Canelo winning.”
The stakes could not be higher for the October 31 showdown. Meanwhile, Hernandez is climbing his own ladder after defeating Francisco Daniel Veron last Saturday. The Cuban will soon be mandated to challenge Denzel Bentley for the WBO middleweight strap, though Bentley gets one voluntary defense first. But all eyes in Riyadh will be on Canelo’s mission to rule the 168lb division once again.
