Christian Mbilli vs Saul Alvarez

Those of us old enough to remember Canelo first making a name for himself, will be rooting for the Mexican legend to complete the first part of his comeback against Mbilli, but as they say, time waits for no man.

This fight comes down to how much Canelo has left at this stage. Yes, he competed with Crawford in his most recent outing, but he was well and truly beaten; he looked like an old fighter for the first time in his career. Greats like Crawford might be able to do that, but that is how we talked about Alvarez not so long ago.

Has the time off and elbow surgery been enough to give Canelo another shot at ruling the 168lb division? Or is Mbilli in the right place at the right time to make a name for himself?

The Canadian-based Cameroon-born Mbilli has yet to face anyone of Canelo's level. Wins over Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Maciej Sulecki may look good on paper, but they are names that saw their best days some time ago. Then there is the draw Mbilli had with Lester Martinez last time out, a great fight, but does it show the French-Canadian's level?

I predict that Canelo will know too much and still retain enough of his physical prowess for Mbilli. I cannot see the Mexican stopping the Canadian, but a lopsided decision looks likely to me.