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Against Canelo Alvarez or not, Christian Mbilli is hungry to become super middleweight world champion
As recently as this year, Chrstian Mbilli’s name was in the running to possibly fight Canelo Alvarez.
The boxing superstar wound up settling on William Scull instead, defeating the Cuban fighter by unanimous decision in a low-action affair this past May. Alvarez is now slated to fight Terence Crawford next in a mega bout September 13.
While Mbilli still holds out hope to clash with Canelo in the near future, he is not simply waiting on the Mexican sensation. If anything, he is trying to force the issue.
Mbilli faces Poland’s Maciej Sulecki for the WBC interim super middleweight world title Friday night at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. A victory and he will become a mandatory challenger to Alvarez's throne.
“Canelo or not, I want to be world champion,” Mbilli tells DAZN News during a recent Zoom session. “If Canelo has all the belts again after the fight with Crawford, I hope I’m going to fight Canelo to be world champion.
“If Canelo retires, I will [fight to] take the belts. It’s not too bad, too.”
Canelo currently reigns as the two-time undisputed super middleweight world champion in possession of the WBO, IBF, WBA and WBC titles.
For the record, while Mbilli was not impressed with either of Crawford’s nor Alvarez’s last fights, he believes Canelo’s power will spell the difference in defending his crown against ‘Bud.’
Mbilli’s feeling is doing his part with a statement win over Sulecki and the clinching of the WBC interim title that comes with it, could force Alvarez’s hand at making the French-Cameroonian fighter his next bout after that if successful against Crawford first.
“My goal is to be world champion and to be No. 1,” Mbilli says. “And the No. 1 right now is Canelo and I have to beat Canelo to be No. 1.”
Of course, Crawford will have a hand in altering the trajectory of that dream fight for Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) whose first line of order is taking care of business against a battle-tested Sulecki (33-3, 13 KOs).
For a healthy portion of even boxing’s most faithful followers who might not be familiar with Mbilli, the undefeated contender is an exciting all-action, pressure fighter with a relentless motor.
His left hook to the body followed by right hook across the jaw is a scintillating combination used to pummel opponents including a rugged Sergiy Derevyanchenko who Mbilli defeated via unanimous decision last August.
“For me, boxing has to be spectacular,” Mbilli says of his all-gas, no brakes approach. “That’s my style.”
If he is victorious Friday night against Sulecki and the Alvarez bout does not come to fruition for any reason, Mbilli says he is open to unleash his style on any of the top contenders at 168 pounds whether Diego Pacheco, Edgar Berlanga, Jermall Charlo, or Jaime Munguia.
“I’m ready for everyone,” Mbilli says. “I need a big name. Right now, it’s difficult to have a big fight because right now every fighter is looking at Canelo. But I’m ready to fight everybody.
“If you want an exciting fight,” he continues, “something big, call me.”