Next month, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is set to top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ bill when he challenges Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight world title in Saudi Arabia. On the undercard, one of his stablemates will compete in another championship bout.
Canelo lost his undisputed super-middleweight throne to Terence Crawford one year ago, and an elbow injury has kept him sidelined since. In the meantime, Crawford’s retirement led to the belts being scattered, with all now claimed or reassigned.
One of those beneficiaries was Mbilli, who held the WBC Interim title and was subsequently elevated to full world champion when Crawford relinquished the belt. The French-Cameroonian is yet to fight since appearing on that Canelo-Crawford undercard, but will make his first defence against one of the biggest names in the sport
On a revised Halloween fight date, Mbilli will hope to put an end to the legendary career of Canelo in the main offering of a mammoth event, which Boxing News revealed back in July will also feature a vacant IBF super-lightweight world title bout involving Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov.
Now, a source close to the event has told Boxing News that an agreement has also been signed for Mexico’s WBO featherweight world champion Rafael Espinoza to take on Venezuela’s Lorenzo Parra, who notably halted Elijah Pierce inside two rounds back in February and is rated as the number one contender with the WBO.
Espinoza has not boxed since continuing his stoppage streak with a fourth knockout in as many title defences last November, when he forced Ukraine’s Arnold Khegai to retire on his stool after 11 rounds of action.
This will be ‘Divino’s’ first fight since partnering up with Canelo trainer, Eddy Reynoso, whilst another stablemate, Jaime Munguia, could also feature on the October 31, card – which could prove to be a busy but rewarding night for coach Reynoso.
