Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is preparing for fight number 69 after suffering just the third defeat of his career last year.

The Mexican icon was vacated last year’s undisputed super middleweight world title by Terence Crawford, his first loss at 168 pounds and third overall after losses to Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol in 2022.

Because Crawford’s retirement means a rematch for Canelo, he has announced his return for a September event in Saudi Arabia, a fight that boxing broker Turki Alalshikh says will result in a world title shot.

IN interview with Bowks talking about BoutsChristian Mbilli – who was promoted from interim to full champion when Crawford was stripped of the belt – made it clear he wanted to be the fighter on the opposite side.

“For me, my goal now is to fight Canelo because I was [the] perennial WBC number one contender. Number one fighter, number one in the WBC for Canelo. Now I have to show that I am number one in the division.

Mbilli fought on the Canelo–Crawford undercard, drawing with Crawford’s stablemate Lester Martinez to retain the belt. The Cameroon-born Frenchman said in the same interview that he intended to have a rematch with Martinez in the future.

The fight with Alvarez has no obstacles, but there is a lot of weight behind it: Turki Alalshikh, Canelo’s good position in the WBC and his number one ranking, and this is undoubtedly the most lucrative option for Mbilla. If a Mexican wants to prove himself, he has the opportunity to do so.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN on Wednesday that undefeated IBF heavyweight title qualifier Richard Torrez Jr. against Frank Sanchez on March 28, will be sidelined after Sanchez’s injury.

Torrez Jr. (14-0, 12 KO) was scheduled to face Sanchez (27-1, 18 KO, 1 No Contest) in the PPV opener of Sebastian Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight title defense against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, Cuban Sanchez was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury. Sources tell ESPN that inflammation of Sanchez’s surgically repaired right knee will force the fight to be postponed to a later date.

Torrez Jr. and Sanchez are ranked No. 9 and 10, respectively, in ESPN’s heavyweight rankings. The winner would become the mandatory challenger to the title of Aleksander Usyk, who currently holds the IBF, WBC and WBA titles.

Usyk will put his WBC title on the line against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. Usyk recently stated that he has three fights left before he calls it a career, and the winner of Torrez and Sanchez is not on his list.

“Listen, Rico [Verhoeven] this is the first. Secondly, who will win, [WBO champion Fabio] Wardley or [Daniel] Dubois and the third fight is my friend, the greedy belly Tyson Fury,” Usyk told Inside the Ring.

Torrez Jr. beat Tomas Salk last November, and Sanchez defeated Ramon Olivas Echeverria via third-round TKO in February.

His promoter Frank Warren says Fury’s return is intended to restart Fury’s run towards another major fight before the end of the summer.

“Tyson has his finger on the pulse and knows what he wants to do,” Warren told DAZN, discussing Fury’s plans for the rest of the year. “I can’t feel it [Anthony Joshua] he will be ready, but if he is there and wants it, Tyson is there. If he doesn’t, Tyson will want to fight a substantial fight in August or September. That’s what he wants.”

The most discussed option remains a meeting with Anthony Joshua. Fans have waited years for the all-British heavyweight clash that once seemed inevitable when both men held world titles at the same time. Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh had previously considered the possibility of staging the fight this summer, but Joshua’s involvement in a stern car crash in Nigeria tardy last year caused uncertainty over the timetable for his return to the ring.

Warren said Fury’s focus is firmly on competition this year after spending most of last year on outside projects.

“The past year has been about his TV series, other commitments and the documentary,” Warren said. “This year it’s about getting the number one position and that’s where his head is.”

If Joshua isn’t ready by tardy summer, other options may become available. WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley has already expressed interest in fighting Fury if he successfully defends his belt against Daniel Dubois on May 9.

Wardley previously said he offered Fury the fight earlier in the year, before both men moved on to other fights.

“I said, ‘Listen, if you want to go straight away, we can go straight away, no problem,’” Wardley told Sky Sports. “But if he wants a little warm-up and wants to go through it and see how he feels, then frosty. I’ll still be ready and I’ll be waiting when I’m done with Daniel for a substantial fight.”

For now, Fury’s main goal remains an April return against Makhmudov. If Warren gets through this fight injury-free, Warren expects the former champion to compete in a major event later in the year, and Joshua’s fight is still something most fans want to see.