Canelo wins title; promoter alleges referee influence — SkimNews
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- Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday, reclaiming the WBC super-middleweight title with scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110.
- Hector Afu docked Mbilli a point in the eighth round for a back-of-the-head hit after Canelo gestured to the official following an exchange on the ropes.
- Camille Estephan said the referee “seemed like he was influenced to take that point off,” while acknowledging that he was not in the official’s shoes and could not understand what went through the referee’s mind.
- Camille Estephan called the fight close, praised Canelo’s performance as “a great performance,” and said Mbilli belonged and would have many more big fights.
- Christian Mbilli came into the bout as full WBC champion after his June 2025 interim-title win over Maciej Sulecki; a split draw with Lester Martinez had ended his run of 29 consecutive victories, and the loss to Canelo was his first as a professional.
- Christian Mbilli wrote on Instagram, in a post translated from French, that he would learn from the experience, get back in the gym and come back stronger.
- Canelo Alvarez returned to boxing one year after his loss to Terence Crawford, which cost him the undisputed super-middleweight crown and his reign as holder of the division’s four major titles.
Why it matters: Canelo reclaimed the WBC super-middleweight title by unanimous decision, while Mbilli’s first professional defeat came after the split draw that ended his 29 consecutive victories. Estephan’s allegation challenges the eighth-round point deduction, but it does not alter the recorded result.
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