Why the time is now for Canelo Alvarez to prove that he still has it on the elite, championship level

Brian Campbell writes that 36-year-old Canelo Alvarez must prove he remains an elite champion as he returns from a 13-month layoff following elbow surgery. Alvarez will challenge WBC super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking his first appearance since losing the belt to Terence Crawford by unanimous decision in 2025.

Campbell argues that Alvarez has shown a gradual decline since peaking around 2022, pointing to decision-heavy outings and the Crawford defeat. Although Alvarez is a 3-to-1 betting favorite and dismissed Mbilli's claims that he has aged, Campbell notes that Mbilli's high-pressure style will severely test how much the Mexican superstar has left.