Boxing

Jaron “Boots” Ennis shows how good boxing can be

Published

2 years ago

April 14, 2025

Jaron “Boots” Ennis Shows Just How Good Boxing Can Be

By: Sean Crose

I am often asked why I prefer boxing than mixed martial arts. I always answer with a vague claim that boxing is cleaner. And because of purity I do not mean morally pure. Indeed, forces standing behind, say, UFC are perhaps less shaded than forces behind a professional boxing. What I mean about cleaning is sharper. Mixed martial arts can be explosive, and fighters have more weapons to work, for example kicks and removal, but what makes me preference for boxing, you can best understand that Jaron “boots” ennis in action. This is especially true when it comes to the extraordinary performances of Ennis against Eimantas Stanionis last week in Atlantic City.

Stanionis, which had a WBA welterweight title, was not a joke. He was a high pressure, an undefeated world champion. There was a solid reason to believe in advance that a confident lithum can simply cause nervousness. Apparently it wasn’t supposed to be. Why? Because Ennis, the IBF champion, was much better. In Saturday’s projection there were times when it seemed that two men should not divide the same ring, so there was a huge difference in talents and skills. Stanionis was and is a very good warrior – but it’s time to admit that Ennis can be great.

Saturday’s fight was not a fight, but she was stimulating and presented a kind of performance, which she simply will not see in the octopus. For Ennis, he was able to keep the distance, avoid impact and provide his own shots. Stanionis had his moments, but they never constituted anything. And eventually the stanionis corner decided to stop the fight because of the health of their battered warrior. It was a wise and mental decision. It was also a real star performance from Ennis from Philadelphia, one of the best sports that provided to fans this year.

Ennis is not a kind of warrior who can be successfully imagined by switching from boxing to mixed martial arts, as the legendary Holly Holm did. The man works best in accordance with the demanding rules of boxing, in which fists and leg work perform hefty lifting. One thing that a man has in common with mixed counterparts of martial arts is the ability to end fights early. Ennis is far from a skillful defensive fighter. It is rather “the one who uses a combination of liquidity and power. This is an impressive thing … and a pointed presentation of how violent boxing can be.

Boxing

Can Christian Mbilli Shock the Boxing World and Force Canelo into Retirement?

Published

3 hours ago

October 31, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Can Christian Mbilli Shock the Boxing World and Force Canelo into Retirement?"

The former two-time undisputed super-middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) is a legend and a future Hall of Famer, but on Saturday night, October 31st, will the WBC champion Christian Mbilli send Canelo into retirement?

This world title bout is an intriguing matchup because it features Canelo’s skill set versus Mbilli’s work rate. The action is set to take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, airing live on DAZN PPV.

Back in June 2025, Christian Mbilli stopped Maciej Sulecki in the first round and won the WBC title. Three months later, Mbilli was involved in a hard-fought battle as his bout against Lester Martinez resulted in a split draw.

Going into this fight, the defending champion Christian Mbilli is the underdog. Despite the odds being against him, Mbilli has the opportunity to defeat the great Canelo Alvarez and send him into retirement.

Losing a fight is rare, but it’s not new to Canelo. What would be new is for him to lose this upcoming bout because it will mark the first time Canelo ever suffered back-to-back losses.

Suffering consecutive defeats could push Alvarez towards retirement. It’s a bold statement, and due to the statement, one would ask: what is Christian Mbilli’s path to victory?

Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) is a determined, physical, and hungry world champion. He’s facing a tall task, but his path to victory is his aggression and his punch volume.

The 31-year-old Mbilli has incredible endurance, which allows him to constantly press forward and attack the body and head of his opponent. Alvarez has experienced stamina issues in the past, so outworking and outlasting Alvarez is Mbilli’s clear path to victory.

On the flip side, if the 36-year-old Canelo Alvarez has anything left in the tank, then this bout could be tailor-made for him due to the fact that Mbilli will be standing right in front of him.
In the past, Alvarez has done really well against opponents who lack movement and footwork. With Mbilli posting up in a neutral position and constantly in attack mode, Canelo will have many counterpunching opportunities.

Canelo will have his chances in regards to landing the left hook, the uppercut, and shots to the body. Speaking of body punches, those types of shots are a big part of Mbilli’s arsenal, and it will be interesting to see if he can consistently land shots to Canelo’s body.

Styles make fights, and that’s why the Canelo vs Mbilli fight will be an action-packed event. However, the question is, on Halloween night, will Canelo be sent into retirement, or will he take a step towards one last run at becoming undisputed once again?

Boxing

Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian MBilli Live Results and DAZN PPV Start Times

Published

4 hours ago

October 31, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian MBilli Live Results and DAZN PPV Start Times"

Canelo Alvarez challenges Christian M’Billi for the WBC super middleweight title on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Mexican returns from his defeat by Terence Crawford against an unbeaten champion making his first defence.

Their 12-round fight headlines “Mexico vs. The World,” a nine-bout DAZN PPV card featuring three world championship contests.

Updated Oct 30, 2026, 4:01 am EDT

FIGHT DAY! Canelo vs M’Billi

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
Venue: The Venue in Boulevard City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Card starts: 10:00 am EDT / 2:00 pm GMT
Expected ring walks: 5:00 pm EDT / 9:00 pm GMT
Title(s): WBC super middleweight world title
Scheduled distance: 12 rounds

Live results will appear here on fight night.

What Time Does Canelo vs. M’Billi Start?

The official timetable lists:

Opening coverage: 10 am ET / 7 am PT / 2 pm GMT.
PPV card: 1:47 pm ET / 10:47 am PT / 5:47 pm GMT.
Expected main-event ring walks: 4:55 pm ET / 1:55 pm PT / 8:55 pm GMT.
Main event: 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT / 9 pm GMT.

The headline fight will not start before 5 p.m. ET. Ring walks and individual bout times remain approximate because earlier contests can affect the running order.

How to Watch and How Much It Costs

Canelo vs. M’Billi costs $79.99 on DAZN PPV in the United States. Eligible DAZN Ultimate subscribers can watch without a separate PPV purchase.

Watch Canelo vs. M’Billi on DAZN.

Why Canelo Is Fighting M’Billi

Canelo lost his undisputed super middleweight championship to Crawford in September 2025. After 13 months outside the ring, he seeks to regain the WBC belt rather than take a non-title comeback fight.

“I don’t believe in shortcuts. I want to become a world champion again, and that’s why I want to face the best. Mbilli is the world champion,” Canelo said at Thursday’s official press conference.

The four-division champion became undisputed at 168 pounds by stopping Caleb Plant in 2021. Saturday’s contest offers one championship, with the super middleweight limit set at 168 pounds / 76.2kg.

“I’m the challenger now, but in my mind, I’ve always been the champion, ever since I was a little kid,” he said.

Canelo’s three professional defeats came against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Dmitry Bivol and Crawford. He has never lost consecutive fights.

Who Is Christian M’Billi?

Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, M’Billi represented France at the 2016 Olympics and now trains in Montreal under Marc Ramsay.

He stopped Maciej Sulecki in the first round to capture the interim WBC title in June 2025. His next appearance ended in a split draw with Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford undercard, a contest the WBC named its 2025 Fight of the Year.

The sanctioning body elevated M’Billi to full champion in January following Crawford’s retirement. He has not fought since the Martinez draw.

“I’m ready to shock the world,” M’Billi said.

Facing the biggest name of his professional career, the champion drew a clear distinction between admiration and ambition.

“I have a lot of respect for Canelo and his career, and I congratulate him on everything he has achieved. But inside the ring, it will be a different story, and I’m coming to win.”

Records, Age, Height and Reach

Canelo Alvarez

Record: 63-3-2, 39 knockouts.
Age: 36.
Height: 5ft 7½in.
Reach: 70½in.
Trainer: Eddy Reynoso.

Christian M’Billi

Record: 29-0-1, 24 knockouts.
Age: 31.
Height: 5ft 8½in.
Reach: 72in.
Trainer: Marc Ramsay.

Full Fight Card and Estimated Bout Times

Ricardo Blandon replaces Lorenzo Parra against Rafael Espinoza. The planned IBF title fight between Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov is off the card.

The revised running order follows. Times are ET / UK GMT and may shift.

Opening Card

10:02 a.m. / 2:02 p.m.: Hector Aguirre vs. Brayan Leon
Super middleweight, eight rounds.
10:44 am / 2:44 pm: Carlos Emiliano Rojo vs. Flavius Biea
Super middleweight, eight rounds.
11:26 a.m. / 3:26 p.m.: Marcos Vazquez vs. Bek Nurmaganbet
Light heavyweight, 10 rounds.
12:16 p.m. / 4:16 p.m.: Erick Villegas vs. Sultan Almohammed
Lightweight, six rounds.
12:50 p.m. / 4:50 p.m.: David Picasso vs. Carl Martin
WBC Silver featherweight title, 10 rounds.

PPV Card

1:47 pm / 5:47 pm: Raymundo Rojas vs. Reito Tsutsumi
Junior lightweight, 10 rounds.
2:42 p.m. / 6:42 p.m.: Rafael Espinoza vs. Ricardo Blandon
WBO featherweight world title, 12 rounds.
3:44 p.m. / 7:44 p.m. Nikita Zon
WBA super middleweight world title, 12 rounds.
5 p.m. / 9 p.m.: Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian M’Billi
WBC super middleweight world title, 12 rounds.

About the author

Boxing 24/7 Wire

Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

Usyk Aiming for Cruiserweight Showdown with Benavidez: Latest Fight Report

Published

15 hours ago

October 30, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Usyk Aiming for Cruiserweight Showdown with Benavidez: Latest Fight Report"

Oleksandr Usyk vs David Benavidez might be a reality for 2027, and it would see Usyk moving back down to cruiserweight, not Benavidez going up to heavyweight.

But the former undisputed cruiserweight king would rather face Benavidez (32-0, 26 KO) at cruiserweight, because he’d like to go undisputed at that weight a second time, matching what he’s done as a heavyweight.

Usyk (25-0, 16 KO) vacated all of the heavyweight titles this year, and his only fight for 2026 is going to wind up being a sort of curious novelty bout where he stopped kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round, after 10 rounds of struggle that left several questions.

It’s entirely possible this would wait until the late summer or early fall of 2027. Usyk’s birthday is in January, so he’ll be 40 if and when this fight does take place, whether it’s that late into next year or earlier.

Will Usyk vs Benavidez happen, and do you like the idea? Let us know down in the comments section, and even if you’re on the go, you can join the conversation with the SB Nation app for iOS or Android!