Saul “Canelo” Alvarez returns to the ring Saturday after more than a year away, and for those who casually follow the journey of boxing’s biggest star, one word can epitomize his fight against WBC middleweight champion Christian Mbilli: Redemption.
Canelo, 36, is a veteran of 68 fights. The longtime trainer, Eddy Reynoso, insisted on being crowned before Alvarez fought in Mexico for at least 10 years, but those boxers remain marked, even though they have lobbied to have them on their roster. Unforgettable has battles, trials and hardships.
Advertisement
Of unusual antiquity. Sometimes more destructive. Alvarez is as famous for his wars with Gennady Golovkin as he is for breaking the throats of lesser foes like Billy Joe Saunders in 2021 or, if Ulysses Solis is to be believed. outside the circle in 2011 too.
The risk in Canelo’s fighting style is that losses become a reality. Canelo has three of them: To Floyd Mayweather, Dmitry Bivol, and Terence Crawford, one of whom beat him last year in Las Vegas. Alvarez did not fight.
He had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in October 2025, about six weeks after his unanimous decision defeat to “Bud”. During his recovery, he said he only thinks about boxing and how he can regain the world titles he lost to Crawford.
This Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he gets a chance to receive one of them.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez returns to the ring this Saturday after 13 months away.
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)
So it will be easy to bring Alvarez back to the one ring of redemption, as many probably want. But it is certainly much more.
Advertisement
It’s a loss of power, and whether Canelo has really recovered someone within the smile that he gave his life.
He is a certain man, who was once in the ring within the whole empire; A fighter who was in control of what happened to his opponent’s body is now contemplating whether he has lost a step. Worse, he had strayed from the edge of his mind.
Immediately after losing to Crawford, Canelo conceded that, despite his efforts, “your body can’t take it anymore.”
“Reynoso was telling me everything I needed to do,” he said at the time, “and I tried. But my body didn’t respond. I got cramps in my legs.”
Advertisement
However, it wasn’t just about losing the physical power that he had, for decades, his mouth. He was to be feared. Soft Economic. But against Crawford, it was more.
“When you lose, you always look back at your mistakes,” Alvarez said of being crowned before Saturday’s return. “At this level there is little between victory and defeat. I did a good job preparing for that fight, but throughout the fight the day of the week was not in my mind.”
Those around Canel have suggested a 13-month break since it benefited him so much.
DAZN in recent documents; “Saul – The Return of Canelo Alvarez”, Reynoso describes his fighter as “recharged” following the defeat: “The business is more affected by the impact. That’s what pushed him harder for this fight.”
Advertisement
They are still working hard in the gym today, though they were absent from the first Canelo. “He’s tired because he’s human,” Reynoso said.
“I hope more than anything to win the fight and show that we can still be in boxing.”
37 Saul will soon be converted. “It is no secret that we are in close combat.”
Canelo feels different. He is, however, one of the most stubborn of men. He plans to win back each of his world titles, one by one, starting with Mbilli on Saturday. And when he spoke to him, he never questioned whether his heart was still in the game. “I love boxing,” Alvarez told Uncrowned.
Advertisement
“I enjoy boxing a lot and I always give 100% in the gym because I really love what I do. Boxing is my passion.”
“I feel like I’m 26 years old,” he added. “I believe in him. I’m [going to] show Mbilli what level his fighter is aiming for.”
If Mbilli Canelo had fought when the Mexican was 26, when Liam Smith had been knocked down with a ball shot, there would be little doubt that the collapse of the Canadian-based blanket would also have occurred.
But this is another Canelo. This is Canelo who hasn’t scored a knockout in the past five years, not since he stopped Caleb Plant in November 2021 in the 11th round.
Advertisement
Alvarez insists that he suffered from Crawford’s injury, from surgery, and from accumulated wear and tear. And although he is one of the biggest names in the game, he also joins the ranks with today’s recent pound-for-pound great Oleksandr Usyk after relocating his camp to Spain for this return.
“He came two to three days [to the gym] and I enjoyed it a lot. I appreciate them for guiding my training in the gym, “Alvarez said about the collaborative work with Usyk’s team.” I am used to their strengths and conditions. They helped us, Eddy and me.
“Usyk is [funny]” He added. ” We have spoken and you know why he is the avenger. The mind is everything.”
Yes.
Advertisement
of the mind
There is an old saying that battles have already been won or lost, or even before, the footsteps of the fighter are heard even through the ropes and the open bell.
Christian Mbilli holds the WBC super middleweight championship that Alvarez held not long ago.
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
Canelo himself conceded the fight eight weeks before Crawford left the boxer much to be desired. And Mbilli’s equipment, in Riyadh, could be even lighter.
As you can see, the capital of Saudi Arabia has been subject to frequent missile attacks by the Yemeni Houthi rebels throughout October. It takes place amid the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
The Houthis shelled King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 13 people and injuring more than 300 in an attack on October 10, sending its closure into shock and international travel into disarray.
Advertisement
Tennis and golf events are widespread in the region.
Alvarez’s fight with Mbilli, though, remained on the calendar.
One of the game’s central bankers, Turki Alalshikh, said earlier this month that Alvarez has “nothing to fear”, insisting that he proceed with the show.
But the Houthis have warned that Riyadh airport remains a military target, leaving the country under threat of further attacks days before Canelo and Mbilli must fight in 20 miles.
So I can’t help but wonder if this is another thing that is out of Alvarez’s control, and if he brought his training, his mind, or both.
Advertisement
“I see a beautiful Riyadh” Canelo said about his arrival in Saudi Arabia. “I saw a lot in the middle” [about the attacks]but I was confident that he would come to Riyadh … I feel safe, like in my home. I don’t see anything wrong.”
Canelo spent more than a year trying to recover from what he had long been in mind, body and destiny.
On Saturday against Mbilli, he will find out how much he has left in his hands.