Oscar De La Hoya believes Canelo Alvarez is entering the final phase of his career and indicated that his September fight against Christian Mbilli is heading in that direction.

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It has been reported that the Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli has been signed and is scheduled to take place on Mexican Independence Day weekend in September 2026, although the exact date has not been officially confirmed.

De La Hoya said Alvarez is no longer at the same stage of his career as he was before.

“Every fighter has his peak and then you start to see a clear exit and Canelo is right there,” De La Hoya told Sean Zittel. “He’s still a few fights away from retirement don’t blame him for taking the money and running away. I don’t blame him. I mean, clever guy.

De La Hoya’s “cash-out” narrative seems disconnected from the tactical reality of this matchup. Calling Christian Mbilla a “take the money and run” suggests that Oscar may have been interested in name recognition rather than the film.

If a player is looking for an uncomplicated way out, you don’t go for a 31-year-old power hitter like Mbilli.

Canelo is 35, recovering from surgery on his left elbow and coming off a decisive loss to Crawford where he looked stagnant in the championship rounds. Fighting a fighter like Mbilli in Riyad is a huge risk.

De La Hoya admitted that Alvarez still has significant fights left before he leaves.

“He still has some good fights ahead of him against great fighters,” Oscar said.

If Mbilli drowns Canelo or even “destroys” him, De La Hoya’s schedule for the remaining “good fights” will immediately evaporate. The perception that he has a few left suggests he can still compete at an elite level, but the 168-pound division has shifted toward younger, more impressive fighters.

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 critical fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last update: 2026/05/01 at 17:31

Gervonta Davis’ return may soon become clear as “real talks” with the opponent are expected to happen “very soon.”

The 31-year-old has not fought since March 2025, when he defended the WBA lightweight world title after a controversial draw with Lamont Roach.

“Tank” has since been recognized as a “champion in hiatus” by the WBA, mainly due to his passivity, but also due to allegations of domestic violence.

Such allegations made by his former partner, Courtney Rossel, resulted in Davis being removed from a canceled exhibition match against Jake Paul last November.

Recently, however, the fighter from Baltimore announced his return to the ring, mentioning Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz – whom he unanimously named in 2021 – as a potential opponent at 140 pounds.

However, if he wants to regain his former WBA title, Davis will most likely be ordered to fight the sanctioning organization’s No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, Floyd Schofield.

In pursuit of the ‘tank’ fight, ‘Kid Austin’s father and trainer, Schofield Sr., stated that talks are ongoing about the two fighters meeting in July.

Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya confirmed these talks to the media Fighting Hub TVbut he also wondered whether the 23-year-old he was promoting was ready for such a huge challenge.

“There will be real talks soon. If “Kid Austin” wants to take on “Tank”, then I, as the promoter, [that’s] what I need to get for him.

“As a promoter, I still feel like I would give him one more fight and then attack ‘Tank.’ But if he wants it right away, let’s go.

“In my opinion it would not be the right decision, but if the father and the child want it, I will have to insist.

“I’m not sure what ‘Tank’ Davis is doing exactly, but I hear he wants to fight in the third quarter of this year.”

Schofield hasn’t fought since last June, when the best victory of his career came after a first-round stoppage of former world champion Tevin Farmer.

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The former two-division world champion reacted after Lou DiBella claimed White was already a better promoter, pointing to his achievements in the UFC and financial support as Zuffa Boxing begins to expand.

Malignaggi rejected this idea, arguing that White’s boxing record was still too circumscribed to support this thesis.

“We haven’t seen enough of Dana White in boxing,” Malignaggi told Boxingscene about Zuffa. “He’s been pretty average so far.”

He added that while White has plenty of financial support, that alone does not guarantee success in a sport that operates differently from mixed martial arts.

“There is a gigantic war chest, but he can still throw the whole bag and fail,” Malignaggi said.

Instead, Malignaggi pointed to Hearn’s achievements, citing the number of champions produced under Matchroom Boxing and the company’s continued presence around the world.

“Eddie Hearn is the better promoter at the moment,” he said. “He created more champions. He does more.”

Trainer Stephen Edwards also questioned DiBella’s stance, noting that Zuffa Boxing is still in its early stages and has not yet produced enough results to warrant comparison.

White has begun to put together a lineup that includes Jai Opetaia and Richardson Hitchins, but his long-term impact on boxing remains unconfirmed.

Malignaggi’s point comes down to results. Zuffa has signed names such as Jai Opetaia and Conor Benn, but early performances have yet to force the rest of the sport to respond.

There is no milestone event or signature night involved. Hearn, in turn, has spent years building champions and guiding sanctioning bodies to make grave fights. Until Zuffa delivers something at this level, claims of its dominance continue to outweigh what has actually been produced.