Canelo Alvarez answered many questions about his place in professional boxing Saturday. More questions are still to come.
Alvarez (64-3-2, 39 KOs) was masterful in a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Christian Mbilli to reclaim the WBC super middleweight title. It's true that Mbilli's timidity in the middle to late rounds helped Alvarez win, but Alvarez should receive full credit for any hesitation Mbilli showed. Mbilli did not seem intimidated or frozen by the moment. He looked technically overmatched, offensively and defensively.
Mbilli threw 202 more total punches than Alvarez, but landed at a much lower rate (17.5% to 31.3%). Alvarez also connected on 41.9% of his power punches, compared to 26.5% for Mbilli, according to CompuBox.
Alvarez might no longer hold all four titles at 168 pounds, but Saturday reminded everyone he is the gold standard in the division. If the 36-year-old has only a handful of fights left, as he has repeatedly stated, chasing undisputed super middleweight status for a third time doesn't seem like a good way to use them. Questions have begun to surface about how they should.
Alvarez's greatest interests lie in rewriting the few unsuccessful nights of his career. Namely, rematches against Dmitry Bivol and Terence Crawford, whom he lost to in 2022 and 2025, respectively.
How likely is either rematch? A second fight with Bivol appears more realistic. Bivol defends his WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles against Callum Smith in December. He said he would drop to 168 pounds to make it happen, but Alvarez wants the rematch at 175 pounds. A rematch with Crawford, who retired after defeating Alvarez, seems less likely. All indications are that Crawford is enjoying retirement and has no plans to return to the ring. Of course, even the strongest retirement in boxing is treated with a grain of salt.
If either rematch happens, the biggest question would be whether Alvarez can reverse the previous outcome. As good as Alvarez looked against Mbilli, plenty of doubt would follow him into bookings against either Crawford or Bivol. He suffered unanimous decisions to both, albeit not lopsided. Adjusting to and overcoming those losses at age 36 would be a monumental challenge. Unlike Mbilli, who thrives on pressure and coming forward, Crawford and Bivol are technicians who like to control the distance and create counter opportunities.
Alvarez hasn't scored a knockout since he fought Caleb Plant in November 2021. In nine fights since, he has recorded only three knockdowns. His footwork and upper-body movement looked virtually as good as ever on Saturday, but the performance offered little evidence that a second fight with either Crawford or Bivol would look different. Crawford's adaptability and defense and Bivol's size and skilled discipline each denied Alvarez a chance to impose his offense.
Alvarez landed only 84 total punches against Bivol, and just 99 punches against Crawford. How much would that change in either rematch?
Alvarez's legacy is secure regardless of whether he suffers another loss to Crawford or Bivol, but he would inevitably have an uphill battle if he pursues them.
If that path doesn't materialize, Alvarez may have an even more difficult question to answer. He told ESPN Deportes in late September that he has accomplished everything he possibly could in his 21-year career. So what else does he want?
Given that he is clearly head and shoulders above his peers at super middleweight, would he entertain the unconventional route of a big-money fight with Jake Paul, who has been keen on testing his luck against the four-division champ?
Those questions will eventually be answered, one way or another. It's a little ironic, though perhaps not surprising, that boxing's biggest star, with nearly 70 fights under his belt and coming off a performance in which he answered so many questions, still faces this much uncertainty about his immediate future. But if there's one thing about Alvarez, he probably wouldn't have it any other way.