Canelo Alvarez is out of action for eight months. Reports are circulating that he is set to return to the ring against Christian Mbilli for the latter’s WBC super middleweight title in September.
Now, Devin Haney has shared his prediction for the reported showdown. He expects a comfortable night for the Mexican superstar.
While the fight has not been officially announced, discussion around the potential matchup has continued to build across the boxing world.
Recently, Haney has weighed in with a clear verdict.
Haney believes Mbilli’s style favors Canelo Alvarez
Speaking on Inside The Ring, Haney explained why he sees the matchup strongly favoring Alvarez stylistically.
“I think this is going to be easy for Canelo,” Haney said.
The reigning WBO welterweight champion believes Mbilli’s aggressive approach would play directly into Alvarez’s strengths.
“This style is tailor-made for Canelo,” Haney explained. “He stands right there in front of you.”
Haney suggested that Mbilli’s willingness to pressure forward could allow Alvarez to settle into his usual rhythm and counter punching.
Haney expects ‘typical Canelo things’ against Mbilli
The welterweight champion also pointed to Mbilli’s tendency to come forward constantly as another reason he expects Alvarez to control the fight.
“I think he’s a guy who’s going to come forward and he’s going to be right there,” Haney said.
Because of that, Haney believes the matchup would allow Alvarez to deliver the type of performance fans have seen throughout much of his championship run.
“I think Canelo is going to go in there and do typical Canelo things,” he added.
Mbilli secured a first-round knockout victory over Maciej Sulecki to become the interim WBC super middleweight champion, and then, in a hard-fought battle against Lester Martinez, retained his title.
Later, the French boxer was elevated to full-time champion after Terence Crawford retired.
Meanwhile, Alvarez has been out of action since his loss to Crawford back in September last year. Following the defeat, he underwent elbow surgery on his left hand.
Analysts and boxers alike are already dismissing Mbilli’s chances against Alvarez. This is a huge opportunity for the current champion to silence their doubters.
And for Alvarez, this fight offers a great opportunity to come back in the win column and grab that title.
