I don’t know about you, but David Benavidez aside, the guy I’d most like to see Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez fight next is unbeaten French buzzsaw Christian Mbilli. Why? Simply put, Mbilli, 28-0(23) is a heck of a lot of fun to watch, he throws a ton of punches each and every time he fights, he has shown he can take a good shot……..and Mbilli is starving hungry. Now, as per the new WBA rankings, Mbilli is potentially a big step closer to getting the fight he has been calling for for some months now.
Having replaced Edgar Berlanga as the WBA No.1 contender at 168 pounds (Berlanga of course the last guy to share a ring with Alvarez), Mbilli and his team will no doubt push for a shot at the belt Canelo holds along with the WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine titles at the weight.
Canelo – who has recently been seen out in Japan, causing some completely unfounded speculation that he may be lining up a fight in the country – is fully expected to keep his Cinco de Mayo fight date in May, and maybe Mbilli will be the guy in the opposite corner. Maybe. Mbilli may not be the biggest name, although his profile is growing, but those fans who have seen him fight know what he’s all about: action.
Last seen dishing out a pretty bad beating on the experienced and teak-tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko, this in August, the 29-year-old who is based in Montreal, Quebec, picked up his third win of this year, his other wins being stoppage victories over Rohan Murdock and Mark Heffron. In some ways, Mbilli is a throwback fighter, in as much as he’s willing to fight anyone to earn his shot. There really is nothing not to like about Mbilli, from his fighting style to his strong yet respectful mental game, with him deciding not to engage in trash talk.
Canelo, as big a star as he is, only has a few interesting options as far as his next fight goes: Benavidez (this a fight Canelo seems destined never to take), a rematch with Dmitry Bivol (either at 175, this if Bivol beats Artur Beterbiev on October 12, or at 168 should Bivol lose the 175 pound unification showdown), and, well, who else?
Maybe a young gun who will give his all and will throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at Canelo should he get the chance. Christian Mbilli fits the bill.
Agree or disagree?
