Canelo Alvarez returned to the super-middleweight throne with a decision victory over Christian Mbilli on Saturday, and when summarising the performance, pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson made his thoughts on the display extremely clear.

At 36-years-old, off the back of both the longest inactive streak of his career and a defeat last time out, Canelo entered the Riyadh ring with many fight fans doubting whether the career of the Mexican superstar was nearing the end.

However, the four-division world champion instead recaptured the WBC super-middleweight title as he handed Mbilli a first career defeat.

Canelo’s experience, ring IQ and accuracy ultimately proving to be too much for the French-Cameroonian champion as he won a unanimous decision with scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110.

That performance has once again made Alvarez the man to beat in the 168lb scene, with each of his fellow world titleholders at the weight desperate to secure a lucrative unification opportunity on his mooted spring 2027 return.

Speaking shortly after witnessing the win, reigning WBO super-lightweight champion Stevenson took to X to praise the efforts of Canelo both on the night and across his career as a whole, labelling the veteran as both a ‘GOAT’ and a ‘legend’.

Canelo is a 🐐, Respect legend!! @canelo

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) November 1, 2026

“Canelo is a [GOAT]Respect legend!!! @canelo”

As far as what is next for Alvarez, it seems as though he will fight again in in either April or May for the final bout of his four-fight contract with Riyadh Season.

At present, Hamzah Sheeraz would likely be deemed as the frontrunnerif Terence Crawford refuses to comeback for the rematch.

Canelo Alvarez once again reigns as a super-middleweight world champion after defeating Christian Mbilli on Saturday, and two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered his thoughts on the win.

Ahead of the bout, there were doubts as to whether a 36-year-old Canelo still had the hunger and desire to come out on top in a potential firefight, as Mbilli vowed to take the fight to the Mexican and spring the upset.

However, the intelligence of the four-division world champion shone through on fight night as the veteran claimed a unanimous-decision win with one of his most impressive displays in recent years.

On his YouTube channelBradley suggested that part of Canelo’s success was down to him being able to intimidate Mbilli and throw the French-Cameroonian off his game plan.

“Man that dude p***ed down his leg! He got in the ring with Canelo, he felt that presence of Canelo. You can slow a motherf***a down just with your presence! Just you being right there, like you the boogeyman.

“He has been watching Canelo tear up stuff over the years, Mbilli, and he finally got in the ring with his a** and he was just like ‘oh, yeah this is a different level, these lights is too bright!’.

“Man, he got spooked last night. Damn, Mbilli got spooked last night. All of the muscles that he has got, I am like ‘man come on, at least go for it,’ but he was scared to get countered.

“They came in with an entirely different game plan, he lost his identity last night, that is how bad that s**t was.”

Bradley then went on to declare his belief that Canelo has a lot more to give to the sport, shunning any idea that Alvarez should soon hang up the gloves.

“He has got a lot left in the tank and he showed that last night when he tamed that damn Mbilli, that was supposed to be coming and throwing all of these punches.

“That motherf***a threw all of these punches and he missed all of them damn shots!”

Canelo is understood to have one fight left on his contract with Riyadh Season but, as of right now, he looks unlikely to be able to secure his targeted opponent for that outing.

Floyd Mayweather has confirmed a December 19 exhibition against Matty Floyd in Bangkok, calling the contest a warm-up before facing Ryan Garcia, with Mike Zambidis, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao absent from his latest plans.

The undefeated boxing legend announced the fight through his verified Instagram account, confirming he will face the Australian in Thailand at an event billed as “The GOAT vs. The Jedi.”

“This is a lil tune up before me and Ryan Garcia lock up,” Mayweather stated.

The statement comes after months of plans involving Tyson, Zambidis and Pacquiao, none of whom has made it into the ring with Mayweather despite previous announcements.

In Mayweather’s last interview at a Dmitriy Salita promotion, the former pound-for-pound king stated he was heading to Greece to fulfill his postponed agreement with Zambidis.

Mayweather vs. Matty Floyd

The December 19 exhibition will see Mayweather face a fighter already familiar to World Boxing News readers.

Floyd, nicknamed “The Jedi,” faced former world champion James DeGale under Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship rules, losing a unanimous decision in September 2025.

The Australian later told WBN that DeGale had reportedly knocked out six sparring partners before their contest, insisting his awkward style made the former Olympic champion look ordinary.

Floyd also became involved in a bizarre feud with Billy Joe Saunders, even traveling to England for a proposed meeting in a pub car park.

The confrontation never happened, despite Floyd telling WBN he had flown over specifically to confront Saunders.

Mayweather vs. Ryan Garcia

Whatever happens against Floyd, Mayweather could have the opportunity to challenge Garcia for the WBC welterweight title if a professional fight can be agreed.

Garcia has already made it clear he wants a professional contest against Mayweather, rather than an exhibition.

As WBN reported on October 7Garcia revealed that Mayweather had approached him about a potential fight.

“I’m ready Floyd, remember you made this call,” Garcia stated.

The reigning WBC welterweight champion wants Mayweather’s famous 50-0 record on the line.

Mayweather, who turns 50 in February, has not fought professionally since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017.

David Benavidez has already warned Mayweather against risking his undefeated record against the younger champion.

Tyson and Pacquiao Plans

During a recent PBD Podcast appearance, Mayweather indicated an exhibition with Tyson would come before the Pacquiao rematch.

The Pacquiao fight has already suffered repeated delays, with the original September plans falling apart amid unresolved commitments and legal complications.

Mayweather previously suggested the rematch was close to being finalized, only for Pacquiao’s representatives to acknowledge that negotiations remained on “Floyd Time.”

Neither the Tyson nor Pacquiao fight has been formally canceled, while no date or signed agreement has been announced for Garcia.

Whether the Bangkok appearance leads to a professional comeback against Garcia remains to be seen. Mayweather has named plenty of potential opponents, but getting those fights over the line has proved a different matter.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

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