Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli in Riyadh just two days after ballistic missile debris fell in the Saudi capital, but Turki Alalshikh snubbed the Mexican superstar by spending much of the fight talking to the person beside him instead of watching the action.

Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight title by unanimous decision, with judges scoring the contest 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. World Boxing News scored the fight 118-110.

Canelo’s reported $47 million guarantee was part of his lucrative four-fight agreement with Riyadh Season.

The fight went ahead despite serious security concerns after Saudi Civil Defense reported that debris from two intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles fell in Riyadh on Thursday, October 29.

One civilian suffered minor injuries, while a house and vehicle were damaged just two days before Canelo and Mbilli stepped into the ring.

Yet as Canelo fought, Alalshikh repeatedly turned toward his ringside companion for lengthy conversations.

World Boxing News witnessed Alalshikh talking during the vast majority of rounds, including several moments when the fighters were exchanging punches directly in front of him.

For a fighter of Canelo’s stature, competing for a world title in a contest worth a reported $47 million to him, the repeated conversations gave the appearance of a ringside snub from the man helping bankroll the event.

Turki’s Ringside Behavior

Turki’s extraordinary behavior caught the attention of fans, as well as WBN.

“Nice to see the massive fight fan Turki Al-Sheikh having a conversation throughout the entire fight,” one viewer posted on X.

Another declared: “Turki has completely checked out of boxing.”

A third posted: “Bro Turki Alalshikh hasn’t watched a moment of this fight ….”

WBN’s Take

Turki proclaims to be a boxing fan, but showing up and appearing so blatantly uninterested in watching the action hardly supports that claim.

It almost looked as though the matchmaker wanted to make a point about something. Whether that was his intention is something only Alalshikh can explain.

Why would anyone involved in bringing Canelo back for a fight reportedly worth almost $50 million to the Mexican, with the contest going ahead in Riyadh just two days after missile debris injured a civilian and damaged property, appear so uninterested in watching?

It’s unfathomable and, in WBN’s view, an indication that boxing still has a long way to go in the region.

Alalshikh has brought enormous money into boxing and helped make some major fights happen. But spending millions does not automatically mean you get a free pass for everything.

Boxing suffers when those running it give the impression they don’t care about what’s transpiring in front of them.

Unfortunately for Turki, his behavior during Canelo’s victory will give further fuel to those who already criticize.

He could have been discussing business, but why choose those 36 minutes to do so when Canelo was fighting for a world title directly in front of him?

The man helping Canelo’s later career appeared to have other things on his mind. Whatever his reasons, repeatedly turning away from one of boxing’s biggest stars during a world title victory was, in WBN’s view, a poor look for all concerned.

And the fact Turki jumped into the ring afterwards to celebrate wildly only adds to the mystery of why he spent so much of the fight looking elsewhere.

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.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Jake Paul has shared his reaction to Canelo Alvarez returning to the ring with a victory over Christian Mbilli.

Canelo claimed world honours once again as he defeated Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to win the WBC super-middleweight title.

It appeared to be a fairly competitive fight up until the halfway stage, but Alvarez then began to pull away to claim a comfortable win, as the judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 in his favour.

Attention has already turned to who the Mexican superstar could now take on next, and one man that has been linked to a fight with Canelo over the years is YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.

Posting on social mediaPaul gave his take on Canelo’s performance, whilst also once again calling for a fight with the new WBC super-middleweight champion.

“Out of the ring for 13 months but still the same old Canelo. Respect. Did take a lot of punches though. We will dance my friend, we will dance.”

Out of the ring for 13 months but still the same old Canelo. Respect.
Did take a lot of punches though. We will dance my friend, we will dance.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 31, 2026

It appears unlikely that a bout between Canelo and Paul will happen anytime soon, with ‘The Problem Child’ scheduled to make his own comeback on Christmas Eve in Dubai, in what will serve as his first action since losing to Anthony Joshua last December.

As for Alvarez, he may look to now target the other world champions at 168lbs in a bid to become undisputed once again, while he has also made it clear that he would like a rematch with former foe Terence Crawford as he seeks to avenge his defeat from last year.

Hamzah Sheeraz is openly campaigning for an unearned lottery ticket against Canelo Alvarez, and boxing fans are expected to pretend this makes sense.

Fans online already assume Turki Alalshikh will force this matchup. That speaks volumes about the current matchmaking environment. People expect what they think the money wants instead of the fights worth watching. Canelo has genuine options available. A rematch with Terence Crawford makes sense, while Jaron Ennis, Dmitry Bivol, Lester Martinez, or Osleys Iglesias would each offer far more entertainment.

Sheeraz, in contrast, is the ideal safe business fight. He gives the Riyadh Season brass an easy UK marketing angle, brings a recognizable name to British television, and holds zero real threat of upsetting the apple cart. As Simon Zachenhuber showed, Sheeraz is upright, gets uncomfortable when pressed, lacks defensive subtlety, and struggles to impose his height when someone refuses to fold early.

Against Canelo, Sheeraz would stand right in range, get timed coming in, and walk straight into counters without the ringcraft to survive it. Picking him is about protecting the brand and cashing a check, not testing greatness.

“Why not, bro? Why not test myself against the best,” said Sheeraz to DAZN Boxing when asked yesterday why he wants to fight Canelo. “I’m in this game to be the best, and put myself in there with someone with the likes of Canelo. It’s stuff you can dream of. Every day, I wake up, training harder and harder. It’s starting to become more of a reality. So, now it’s like, let me get in there and let me do my thing.”

Sheeraz did himself no favors during his recent majority decision win against Simon Zachenhuber. The German walked through his shots, pressed him constantly, and exposed his discomfort under fire. Nothing in that performance signaled that Sheeraz belongs in the ring with the face of boxing.

His brief title run did not validate him either. Picking up a vacant WBO belt by blowing out Alem Begic in two rounds proved very little. Begic was 39 with a paper record built on obscure opposition. Sheeraz then vacated rather than face Janibek Alimkhanuly, citing low money and an opponent returning from a failed test. He had every right to walk away, but walking away did not prove he is elite.

The refusal to fight Iglesias makes Sheeraz even harder to sell. Canelo openly suggested Hamzah face the dangerous Cuban to earn the shot. Sheeraz rejected the idea, pointing out that Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia never had to pass such an audition. Canelo might have double standards, but whining about Berlanga does not elevate Hamzah’s resume.

Testing yourself against the best is what you do after you run through actual contenders, not after edging Simon Zachenhuber on a majority decision or blasting out Alem Begic.

If Sheeraz genuinely wanted to “test himself against the best” to prepare for Canelo, Osleys Iglesias was standing right there. Canelo offered him the exact blueprint: beat the Cuban southpaw, prove you belong at the elite tier, and bring real credibility to the table.

Saying “It’s stuff you can dream of” gives the game away. It is a dream because it represents the ultimate lottery ticket: a massive purse, global visibility, and zero downside if he loses to an all-time great. Every fringe contender wakes up training hard with that exact dream.

Wanting the biggest purse in the sport is understandable from a business perspective. Pretending that ambition alone makes you a worthy challenger is the part fans are tired of seeing. If everyone who “wakes up dreaming of Canelo” got the call, the sport would be nothing but exhibition paydays. Until Sheeraz takes on a legitimate threat who can punch back, talking about testing himself just sounds like someone angling for a retirement check.

My sources tell me chances are uncomfortably high, easily hovering around 65% to 75% that Canelo fights Hamzah next. Everything coming out of Riyadh points to Hamzah Sheeraz being the preferred target for that spot: Sheeraz sat ringside in Riyadh, gave pre-fight interviews to DAZN building up the matchup, and openly positioned himself as next in line.

That is standard operating procedure when organizers are preparing the public for an announcement. From the promotional side, Sheeraz checks the exact commercial boxes Turki Alalshikh looks for. He provides a British draw to anchor UK pay-per-view buys, brings a Middle Eastern connection based out of Dubai, and comes without the brutal negotiating headaches that accompany figures like Dmitry Bivol or Terence Crawford.

For Canelo, the risk calculus makes Sheeraz almost irresistible. After working through twelve rounds with Christian Mbilli, taking on an upright target who does not use angles or elite lateral footwork is a safe day at the office. Canelo avoids the nightmare styles of Osleys Iglesias or Jaron Ennis while pocketing another massive purse.

The only real hurdles that could derail it are: Crawford agreeing to unretire for the massive bag that a rematch would command. If Crawford says yes, every other fight gets pushed aside immediately. A sudden pivot to a mandatory unification, such as Osleys Iglesias holding the IBF belt or the winner of Janibek Alimkhanuly against Jacob Bank for the vacant WBO strap, if organizers decide they want all the belts consolidated again. Lester Martinez, who holds the WBC interim belt and was also sitting ringside, is being enforced as a mandatory obligation.

As such, unless Crawford signs on the dotted line or public ridicule forces a change in direction, all arrows point toward Sheeraz getting the nod. It is safe matchmaking dressed up as an international event.