Canelo Alvarez’s head dips.
His shoulder sags.
He is the picture of defeat – a stunning setback against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Saturday, Oct. 31.
The betting odds suggest it won’t happen. But boxing history suggests it could. And if so, then what? What would happen to Alvarez's career, the legendary Mexican boxer, after suffering yet another defeat following his loss to Terence Crawford in 2025?
He could always fight Jake Paul.
He could always fight David Benavidez.
But getting into the ring with a YouTuber-turned-boxer would be beneath him and Benavidez has gotten too big, too strong, too punishing.
'World title shot'
So after a loss to Mbilli, what
would be next?
“I think that his time as a serious pound-for-pound fighter and world title threat would come to an end,’’ Grey Johnson of BoxRec told USA TODAY Sports. “But he will always have a strong name value, so I could see him still getting some major fights.’’
Johnson, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, said the thought of Alvarez coming off a loss to Mbilli reminds him of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. in the twilight of his career.
In 2000, when Chavez was 38 and had fought more than 100 times, he still got a title fight against 30-year-old Kostya Tszyu. He lost by TKO, but kept on fighting until 2005.
“Canelo could always get another world title shot,’’ Johnson said.
Box office appeal
After facing Mbilli, Alvarez will have two fights left on his four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season. A loss to Mbilli could lead to yet another defeat and a quick, humbling road to retirement.
But Alvarez has said he thinks he’ll fight three to four more times, creating an intriguing possibility.
He lost all of his super middleweight belts after the defeat to Crawford by unanimous decision. He likely wants them back. And a loss to Mbilli could create a compelling path for Alvarez, with experts suggesting he’d be no less intriguing given his box-office appeal.
What could come next:
A fight against Jaime Munguia, the WBA super middleweight champion.
Assuming Alvarez beats Munguia, next up could be a fight against IBF super middleweight champion Osleys Iglesias.
And if Alvarez beats Iglesias, the next fight could be for the vacant WBO super middleweight title.
For the encore: A rematch with Mbilli and a chance to be the undisputed super middleweight king once again.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Would Canelo Alvarez face sudden retirement with defeat vs. Mbilli?
