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Canelo Álvarez Reclaims WBC Title With Unanimous Decision Over Christian Mbilli
Updated: 3 days ago
Photo: Wiknown77 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Canelo returned after 13 months away to defeat previously undefeated Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on October 31. After a competitive opening, his adjustments and control of the later rounds secured the WBC super middleweight championship.
Canelo Reclaimed His Crown Through Precision, Not Power Alone
Canelo Álvarez is a world champion again, and Crazy TV believes his victory over Christian Mbilli proves that championship experience still matters when it produces results inside the ring. Canelo did not need a knockout or an easy opponent to reclaim the WBC super middleweight title. He needed to adjust, control the exchanges and win the rounds that decided the fight.
On October 31, 2026, Canelo defeated Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
CBS Sports reported the official scores as 115 to 112, 116 to 111 and 117 to 110.
The victory came after a 13 month absence and handed Mbilli his first professional defeat.
It also restored a championship Canelo lost to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
The crown returned because Canelo earned it over 12 rounds.
Mbilli Made the Opening Rounds a Real Contest
Crazy TV believes Mbilli's early success makes Canelo's victory more meaningful.
According to CBS Sports, the first six rounds were competitive.
Mbilli used quick combinations and movement to enter punching range before escaping Canelo's counters.
That approach forced Canelo to work through a difficult opening rather than immediately dictate the fight.
Mbilli entered as an undefeated professional and the reigning WBC champion. His speed and early activity presented legitimate problems.
But success in the opening rounds does not guarantee success across an entire championship contest.
The decisive question became whether Mbilli could maintain his approach once Canelo began finding his timing.
He could not.
That change was the difference between competing for the championship and retaining it.
The Seventh Round Showed Canelo Taking Control
CBS Sports reported that Canelo began establishing his rhythm in round six.
In round seven, a powerful counter right hand visibly shook Mbilli.
The moment mattered because it changed the terms of their exchanges.
Mbilli had been using movement and combinations to attack without remaining in range for extended periods.
Canelo's timing made those entries increasingly dangerous.
Crazy TV believes this is where championship experience became visible.
Experience is not a title an athlete carries into the ring. It becomes valuable when a fighter recognizes a problem and finds a solution.
Canelo's jab helped establish distance. His counterpunching punished openings. His forward movement increased the pressure on Mbilli.
The result was not one spectacular finish.
It was a gradual shift in control that continued through the second half of the fight.
The Eighth Round Penalty Was Important but Not Decisive Alone
Mbilli lost a point in round eight after referee Hector Afu penalized him for rabbit punching.
That deduction belongs in the official account.
But Crazy TV believes reducing the victory to the penalty would misrepresent the contest.
CBS Sports reported that Canelo was already establishing control before the deduction.
The judges ultimately awarded him the fight by margins larger than a single point.
The penalty affected the scoring, but it did not explain every successful jab, counter or controlled exchange.
Canelo's performance must be judged across all 12 rounds. So must Mbilli's.
A fair record acknowledges the penalty without using it to erase the winner's work or the challenger's early resistance.
The Numbers Reinforce What Happened in the Ring
CBS Sports reported that Canelo landed 158 total punches compared with 117 for Mbilli.
That is a difference of 41 landed punches.
Crazy TV believes those numbers support the account of Canelo's growing control, particularly when considered alongside the official scorecards.
The statistics do not mean every punch carried equal force. They do not replace the judgment required to score individual rounds.
But they provide another documented measure of the contest.
Canelo landed more punches overall. He earned all three judges' decisions. He controlled the later stages after Mbilli's competitive opening.
Those facts point toward the same conclusion.
This was a championship victory built through sustained execution.
Mbilli's First Defeat Does Not Erase His Standing
Mbilli entered the fight undefeated and left with a professional record of 29 wins, one loss and one draw.
CBS Sports listed Canelo's updated record as 64 wins, three losses and two draws.
Crazy TV believes both records deserve respect.
Mbilli earned his opportunity through the career he built before October 31. His first defeat does not erase those achievements.
But the loss also cannot be softened into a victory simply because he performed well early.
Championship boxing demands that a fighter sustain his effectiveness through the scheduled rounds.
Mbilli began strongly. Canelo finished stronger.
That is the sporting distinction the result established.
Canelo's Return Is Proven, but His Next Challenge Is Not
Canelo entered the contest following elbow surgery and a 13 month layoff after losing to Crawford.
At 36, he faced questions about what remained of his championship career.
The victory provided a direct answer about his ability to compete at this level.
Afterward, CBS Sports reported that Canelo intended to rest briefly before returning to work.
The primary report did not confirm his next opponent.
Hamzah Sheeraz and Lester Martinez may enter discussions about future matchups, but neither should be presented as a signed opponent without confirmation.
Crazy TV's verdict is that Canelo reclaimed the WBC title through the adjustments that define a proven champion. Mbilli made the first half competitive, but Canelo established his jab, punished openings and controlled the rounds that followed. His experience mattered because he turned it into performance. The crown was not returned as a favor. It was earned.
Who should challenge Canelo next for the WBC super middleweight championship?
Culture. On record.
Source
CBS Sports, Brian Campbell and Brent Brookhouse, October 31, 2026.
Crazy Press documents live culture as it happens. This article will be updated if new information emerges.
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