Canelo Alvarez is set to challenge for the WBC super-middleweight world title next month, looking to re-establish himself as the man to beat in the 168lb division. World-renowned trainer Robert Garcia has laid out his prediction for the fight, as well as what the future might hold.

Canelo became the first undisputed world champion in the history of the super-middleweight division when he finished off an eleven-month run of collecting belts by knocking out Caleb Plant back in 2021. He defended his four belts on five occasions.

Alvarez then dropped the IBF super-middleweight crown but soon trumped William Scull to win it back and become a two-time undisputed ruler, before losing all four of his belts to Terence Crawford in an iconic showdown 12 months ago. Crawford retired shortly afterwards, scattering the titles.

Since then, Canelo has been sidelined due to an elbow injurywhilst Mbilli has been elevated from interim status to full WBC world champion, with former opponent Lester Martinez taking his place as Interim titleholder.

Robert Garcia – who trains the likes of Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Vergil Ortiz Jr – recently told YSM Sports Media that he believes Canelo will win his title back against Mbilli, before outlining his hopes to see Canelo take on Guatemala’s Martinez at the near 90,000-capacity Estadio Azteca.

“I think that Canelo does have enough to beat Mbilli and then Canelo versus Lester [Martinez] would be one of the biggest fights in history, it is two countries against each other, two countries that are going to celebrate a big event in a huge soccer stadium – that would be huge.

“From what I understand, they want Canelo at Estadio Azteca. Imagine him versus Lester at the Estadio Azteca, it would be unbelievable.”

The Estadio Azteca has twice staged boxing events, first hosting Vicente Saldivar’s unified featherweight title defence against Howard Winstone in 1965 and then Julio Cesar Chavez’s famous victory over Greg Haugen in front of a record-breaking 132,247 spectators in 1993.

Martinez, following his latest stoppage win over Luka Plantic, made no secret of his desire to face the winner of Mbilli-Canelo.

Martinez was much more effective and landed the harder punches. Lester had the support of the Guatemalan people with a healthy attendance of 6,848 at the USC Galen Center. The interim WBC super middleweight champion is the only boxing champion of any kind for Guatemala; Martinez is held in high esteem, receiving the full support of his country. After the victory, he celebrated at Lafayette Park at the Festival Chapin with his fellow countrymen.

ProBox promoter Garry Jonas stated at the post-fight press conference they’re exploring the options of holding a Lester Martinez fight at a soccer stadium somewhere in Guatemala, hopefully for January of 2027. The energy and crowd at the Galen Center was electrifying as the crowd would erupt in cheers every time Lester would land a big punch.

Holding an event in Guatemala would definitely draw a crowd. Lester is becoming a bigger star with every fight, and if he’s able to secure a fight with the winner of the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli fight, he would only become that much bigger. Trainer Esau Dieguez said of the fight, “The truth is we would like to face the winner, but because of name recognition and what it would bring, we would like to fight Canelo. Being that we already fought Mbilli, but I expect Canelo to win. I think Canelo will win, I hope we can make the fight. I know the WBC may beat around the bush, but our hope is Lester will fight for the full world title.”

It was the fight against Mbilli that raised Lester’s profile and introduced him to the world. Although it was ruled a draw, there are many who believe Martinez should have been awarded the decision. Lester stood toe-to-toe with the power puncher, exchanging punch for punch with him. Martinez outlanded Mbilli 412 to 273 in total punches, outlanding him in 9 of 12 rounds (Compubox).

He tried securing the rematch with Christian, but the fight never materialized. Expecting a tough fight against the Canelo-Mbilli winner, Lester said, “I think for now I will relax, but I know what is coming will be more difficult, and we will prepare for it.”

Knowing that he will have to perform at his absolute best against whomever the winner may be. Lester has proven he has the skills to compete at the championship level, and he has the full support of an entire country with him in Guatemala; they want nothing more than to have their first full world champion.

Roman had little chance of testing him. The Puerto Rican challenger stood 5-foot-10 and weighed between 196½ and 197 pounds, leaving him considerably smaller than the 6-foot-4, 219-pound champion. He had been outside the rankings when the fight was signed before being elevated to No. 9 by the WBA and WBC.

That placement gave the promotion official legitimacy, but it did not make Roman a genuine threat. Foreman was 38-0 with 35 knockouts and had just destroyed Frazier in two rounds to seize the championship. Roman brought a 43-7-1 or 44-7-1 record, depending on the source, with 21 knockouts.

Once the bell rang, even two minutes proved too long.

Foreman did not merely follow Roman and swing wildly. Under trainer Dick Sadler, he had learned to take broad lateral steps that closed escape routes. His lead hand served as more than a jab. He posted it against Roman, pushed him off balance, and turned him toward the right hand.

That rough leverage helped Foreman control opponents before the power punches landed. Some of it crossed into boxing’s gray area, particularly when he shoved or extended his lead arm, but Roman lacked the strength and composure to resist it.

The destruction of Frazier also followed Foreman into the ring. Roman knew that six knockdowns had reduced the previous champion to a helpless target. His tense movement and reluctance to commit gave Foreman little reason to respect anything coming back.

Foreman cut down the available space, drove Roman toward the ropes, and attacked his body. Roman fell along the ropes near the one-minute point, but referee Jay Edson initially treated it as a slip or loss of balance rather than a knockdown.

The decision became controversial when Foreman landed a right while Roman was sitting on the canvas. Roman’s manager, Bill Daly, and trainer, Al Braverman, jumped onto the apron demanding a disqualification. Edson ruled that Foreman had been following through and that the punch carried little force. Because the original fall was ruled a slip, Roman received neither a mandatory count nor additional recovery time.

The challenger rose, only to be dropped by a right hand. Roman made it up once more, but Foreman finished him with a right uppercut at exactly 2:00 of the opening round. Roman’s corner later called Foreman “the dirtiest fighter in the world,” while some members of the Tokyo crowd booed the abrupt ending.

Roman’s ranking exposed the business behind the defense. He was outside the WBA and WBC ratings when the fight was arranged, then elevated to No. 9 so the organizations could approve him as a challenger. The placement did not make him a mandatory contender or establish championship credentials. It allowed an overseas title defense to proceed against an opponent selected for limited risk.

Promoters advertised Foreman’s purse as $1 million, a figure that became attached to the fight in later records. Contemporary reporting placed his actual guarantee near $250,000, while other accounts and Foreman’s later recollections put his earnings in the $250,000 to $300,000 range. Roman received approximately $100,000.

Attendance reached roughly 7,500 to 8,000 in an arena capable of holding nearly twice that number. The midday Saturday scheduling and expensive tickets hurt local sales, leaving Japanese promoters braced for a financial loss despite televising the bout free to domestic viewers.

Foreman followed the Roman destruction by stopping Ken Norton in two rounds the next year. Across the Frazier, Roman, and Norton fights, he needed only five rounds to dispose of three heavyweights who had a combined 91 professional victories.

The two-minute result also concealed a flaw that Muhammad Ali later exploited. Foreman committed heavily to his power punches and expected resistance to collapse under the first sustained attack. Roman rewarded that approach by folding almost immediately.

Ali refused to provide the same response in Zaire the following year. He forced Foreman to keep punching after the quick finish failed to materialize, turning the champion’s aggression and confidence in his strength into an exhausting trap.

Foreman’s comeback decades later produced one of boxing’s greatest stories, capped by the heavyweight championship at age 45. Yet the older Foreman relied more on patience, positioning, and conservation. The 1973 version brought something more frightening: youth, crushing strength, and an appetite for immediate destruction.

Roman was never equipped to disprove it.