Canelo Alvarez could be ordered to enter an immediate title defence if he emerges victorious against Christian Mbilli on October 31.

The Mexican has not fought since September 2025, when he was relieved of his undisputed super-middleweight crown after losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford.

On that same card, Mbilli retained his WBC ‘interim’ strap following a 10-round draw against Lester Martinezmaintaining his position as one of the top contenders at 168lbs.

The Frenchman was then upgraded to full world champion in December, with Crawford having relinquished his four major titles and announced his retirement as a three-division undisputed king.

Canelo will therefore have the opportunity to reclaim one of his old belts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Mbilli making a first defence of his WBC title.

The winner of their showdown may then be ordered to face Martinez, as the unbeaten mandatory challenger comes off two successful defences of his WBC ‘interim’ strap.

Most recently, the 30-year-old scored a 10th-round stoppage of Luka Plantic last weekend, which followed his unanimous decision victory over Immanuwel Aleem in March.

Speaking at the post-fight presser following his win against Plantic, Martinez said through a translator that he expects to eventually face both Canelo and Mbilli.

“No, look, at the end of the day, I’ve said it before: the second fight [with Mbilli] will happen, possibly next year or the year after. But either one of those fights makes sense for us.

“We know the eyes of the world are going to be on [Mbilli-Canelo]and because we’re going to be there, we’re going to take advantage of all of that. But both fights are going to happen.”

Having already created the “blueprint” to defeat Canelo, Crawford trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre said afterwards that he is supremely confident in guiding Martinez to victory against either Alvarez or Mbilli.

Ryan Garcia has labelled Terence Crawford a “hater” after being told that the all-time great is favouring Conor Benn to pull off a sizable upset.

The 28-year-old will make a first defence of his WBC title against Benn on September 12, headlining an event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

To his credit, it was arguably a career-best performance that saw Garcia dethrone Mario Barriosdominating their February encounter with a unanimous decision victory.

At the very least, it was a vastly improved display than the one he produced against Rolando Romero, who convincingly outpointed ‘King Ry’ in May 2025.

This result followed his year-long doping ban, however, which can perhaps partly explain why Garcia underperformed so spectacularly against his low-volume opponent.

As for his upcoming clash with Benn, most would argue that the American is superior from both a skill and experience perspective, while ‘The Destroyer’ possibly boasts an edge when it comes to heart and durability.

These qualities were evident during his first encounter with Chris Eubank Jr, which he lost by unanimous decision in 2025 before winning their rematch later that year.

It is perhaps based on those two performances, then, that Crawford has decided to back heavy underdog Bennwho has not fought at 147lbs since 2022 and notoriously tested positive for banned substance clomifene that same year.

Speaking with FightHypethough, Garcia could not accept that ‘Bud’ is being fully genuine with his prediction.

“[Crawford] is really a hater – he needs to get out of retirement already. I think I can beat Crawford – I don’t give a f**k about no Conor Benn.”

Crawford called time on his illustrious career in December, just a few months removed from dethroning Canelo Alvarez and becoming a three-division undisputed champion.

World Boxing News provides a scorecard as unbeaten heavyweights Nelson Hysa and Thomas Narmo collide at the O2 Arena in London.

Hysa enters with a perfect 24-0 record against Narmo at 14-0, with neither heavyweight tasting defeat as a professional.

Someone’s ‘0’ has to go, with the regional WBO and WBA Global heavyweight titles on the line over ten rounds on the Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic undercard.

WBN provides a live scorecard of the contest below, plus live results throughout the event.

Hysa vs Narmo Scorecard

Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo

(Live scorecard will refresh every 2 mins)

Preview

Hysa puts his unbeaten 24-0 record on the line against Narmo, who arrives in London with a perfect 14-0 record of his own.

The ten-round heavyweight contest carries the regional belts and gives both men the opportunity to make a statement on the Itauma vs Hrgovic undercard.

The Hysa vs Narmo scorecard will continue alongside more live coverage on World Boxing News.

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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