If Canelo wants to keep his risk profile at a manageable level while cashing the biggest check possible, Hamzah Sheeraz is the perfect option for September.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has made it clear that he wants the biggest names on the biggest stages. Assuming Sheeraz defeats Al Begić on May 23 to win the vacant WBO super middleweight title, he will enter the discussion with the belt, an undefeated record and the appeal of a fresh event.
Style can also matter. Mbilli is an aggressive, high-performance fighter who makes his opponents work in every round. At this point in Canelo’s career, that may look less appealing than against a taller opponent like Sheeraz, who has shown weakness in previous fights.
Mbilli will force Canelo into a cardio-intensive, high-damage war. At 35 years senior, Canelo has little incentive to take such a hefty punishment for a fight that will likely produce fewer PPV buys than the British-backed Sheeraz event.
Sheeraz was pushed difficult by Carlos Adames in a fight that many thought could have gone the other way, and Austin Williams rocked him badly before he recovered.
Other names look weaker. Jaime Munguia has already been beaten by Canelo, making the second fight hard to justify as a premium attraction unless he can mount a gigantic rebound. Jose Armando Resendiz doesn’t have the profile to headline a September event of this magnitude.
The unsafe path could be IBF champion Osleys Iglesias, a younger puncher viewed by many as one of the toughest threats at 168 pounds. For this reason, it seems the least likely option.
Fighting Iglesias is an antiquated move, but it has its negative sides. There’s a reason he’s the least likely option. He has the power to knock out even the most hard-wearing of veterans, but he doesn’t have the fans around the world yet to justify the risk for Canelo.
A fight against newly crowned British champion Sheeraz in Saudi Arabia is an easier sell to the global public than a grueling mandatory defense against the breathtaking Frenchman Mbilli.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.