Canelo Alvarez has been enjoying Mexico’s World Cup run instead of beginning training camp, with the revised date for his world title defense against Christian Mbilli allowing him to enjoy the biggest sporting event in his homeland before returning to boxing.
The undisputed super middleweight champion is currently in Mexico as the host nation celebrates its place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
On Tuesday, Mexico booked its place in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador.
Instead of shutting himself away for an eight-to-twelve-week training camp, Alvarez has remained in Mexico as the country’s dream of lifting the World Cup on home soil stays alive.
Had the original September date remained in place and Mexico reached the July 19 World Cup final, the countdown to fight night would have become far more compressed.
Mexico Means Everything
Nobody who has followed Alvarez over the years should be surprised.
Four years ago, Canelo became embroiled in an extraordinary social media row with Lionel Messi after wrongly believing the Argentine superstar had disrespected a Mexico shirt following their World Cup meeting.
The disagreement escalated into a public war of words involving Sergio Aguero and Marcos Maidana before Alvarez later apologized after accepting Messi had done nothing wrong.
The incident showed exactly how much Mexico’s national football team means to Canelo. When Mexico plays, few athletes wear their country’s colors more proudly.
No Excuses Against Mbilli
Christian Mbilli has already made it clear there will be no excuses when he finally challenges Alvarez for the undisputed championship.
After 21 years as a professional, winning world titles across four weight classes and giving boxing fans countless memorable nights, Canelo has earned whatever time he gets away from the sport to enjoy what he loves.
Everything else can go on the back burner.
When Mexico’s World Cup journey comes to an end, Alvarez will turn his full attention back to boxing and put his career on the line against the most dangerous challenger of his reign.
If Mbilli wins, there will be no asterisks, no questions and no excuses. He will have beaten a fully prepared Canelo Alvarez.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
