In a city under attack, Canelo Alvarez became the definition of calm under fire

· Yahoo Sports

The reason why Mexican boxers tend to be so revered has a lot to do with their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way. Consult the archives and you will discover they all did it: Chavez, Sanchez, Lopez, Marquez, Olivares, Saldivar, Zarate, Barrera, Morales and so on. Not only did each of these men put themselves in harm’s way, they did so with a rare grace and intelligence, almost as if it was part of the strategy; something they had, in the 14-foot-by-14-foot rings in Mexico, over time learned to master. 

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To any great Mexican fighter, the idea of being in harm’s way means opportunity. More than just an act of bravado, it increases the likelihood of an opponent opening up, getting careless, and offering a target to hit. It also means action, excitement, admiration. If in doubt, just listen to the crowd on fight night. Seemingly, the more these men put themselves in harm’s way, the louder the arena becomes and the more people are inclined to watch. Sometimes, with such a price placed on machismo, putting themselves in harm’s way can feel like the only way for these warriors. 

With all that said, few Mexican boxers have ever put themselves in harm’s way quite like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If it wasn’t enough to face and defuse the attacks of Christian Mbilli, the WBC super middleweight champion, the fighter from Guadalajara had to also contend with the pervasive threat of attacks from Iranian-supported Houthi rebels, which have so far claimed the lives of at least 20 people and injured at least 370 in Riyadh. 

As well it might, this put a very different spin on the idea of a Mexican boxer finding themselves in harm’s way. No matter the talent or courage, to come through the ordeal and return home in one piece would require more than just an ability to fight inside, a granite chin, and short punches. It would also require nerve, perhaps even an ignorance. Most of all, it would require an element of good fortune on the part of Alvarez and all who traveled.

For Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, the show must go on.Mark Robinson via Getty Images

Indeed, just 48 hours before the first bell, everybody in Riyadh had been warned via an emergency alert sent to mobile phones to be vigilant and prepared. According to those on the ground, the message received was as follows: “Warning. City of Riyadh is under a hostile aerial threat. Please remain calm, stay indoors or in a safe place away from windows and doors, and follow the instructions of Civil Defense.” This was then accompanied by a social media post from Turki Alalshikh, the man responsible for bringing Mbilli vs. Alvarez to Riyadh, which said, quite simply: “May God protect Riyadh and all who are in it.”

Of course, the biggest challenge for Alvarez and Mbilli would have been maintaining focus and concentration, both throughout fight week and on the night itself. Perhaps, in the end, the immediate danger in front of them was sufficient to override greater dangers, but still, for both, it must have been tough. For all the distraction offered by the incoming fists of an opponent, even the most emotionally detached boxer would struggle to shake from their mind the volatility of the situation outside the ring. 

Then again, boxing is nothing if not a microcosm of life in a “warzone.” In fact, every time two boxers enter a ring and throw punches with the aim to cause damage, there is an ever-present, unavoidable risk of death. They know it, we know it, yet still the show goes on; still they get in the ring and fight. They do so because, by then, they will have managed to convince themselves that death and serious injury are things that happen to other people. They do so because it is their job, all they know. 

Ordinarily, the more a boxer fights, the more comfortable they start to feel, both in the ring and in terms of that belief. With a boxer like Alvarez, for example, there can be no man better equipped to handle business at a time of peril and uncertainty. One look at his career, which now spans 69 professional fights, and you will find a fighter who has frequently and with relish put himself in harm’s way at every turn. From turning pro as a child at the age of 15 to boxing Floyd Mayweather at 23 and then later rising to light heavyweight to fight the likes of Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol, Alvarez has shown time and time again an ability to find comfort in situations lesser men would avoid. 

Even last night’s fight against Mbilli, which saw Alvarez in the position of challenger, was one many experts considered a risk. Mbilli, they said, was a potential problem for Alvarez, stylistically, what with his physical strength, his high output, and his capacity to march forward undeterred. If, as assumed, Alvarez was indeed past his best, or no longer capable of fighting with the intensity of old, the last thing he needed at this point in his career was a hungry champion like Christian Mbilli.

Christian Mbilli was unable to withstand the pressure and presence of "Canelo" Alvarez.FAYEZ NURELDINE via Getty Images

There were signs of this, too, during the early stages of their fight on Saturday. The opening two rounds, for instance, were rounds in which Mbilli seemed happy to be on the front foot letting his hands go with confidence. Until he was told not to, or was stung by something coming back, the Cameroonian-Frenchman had no issue forcing the pace, aware that Alvarez, for all his brilliance, had not stopped an opponent since 2021. That fact alone gave Mbilli hope, or at least the fuel to keep pushing forward and punching. 

When he did, it was easy to see why some had backed him to win. This was especially the case whenever he threw punches in bunches, starting them low to the body before bringing them up to the head. In such moments Mbilli provided the image judges traditionally like to see on fight night: An aggressive boxer coming forward and outworking his opponent against the ropes.

It wasn’t only the judges, mind you. There was a sense as well that “Canelo” rather liked the image — that is, the feeling — of Mbilli fighting in this manner, all huff and puff. Before long, it became quite apparent he was able to read the telegraphed attacks of the champion and that, rather than being bothered by them, he was instead wanting to invite more and more of them. This led to Alvarez retreating to the ropes of his own volition and, in Round 3, beating his chest, shaking his head, and demanding Mbilli come toward him and keep throwing. He knew by now, having got the measure of Mbilli in the opening two rounds, how to tame the man in front of him. To do so, he had to put himself in harm’s way. 

Otherwise, it might have been difficult to penetrate Mbilli’s guard, so long were his forearms. “Canelo” tried, and had success with right hooks around the side, but clearly his preference was to have Mbilli open up first and then fire, typically with jabs and some wonderfully-picked right uppercuts. It was, of course, a high-risk strategy, as it always is when putting oneself in harm’s way, but Alvarez is a fighter experienced enough to have mastered the art of fine margins. How comfortable he looked, too, up against the ropes, beckoning Mbilli toward him. There, despite the threat, he appeared not only composed but safe. He read the trajectory of every imminent attack and often, particularly as the fight progressed, had a counter for Mbilli from a defensive position.

In fact, the mere threat of a response was what ultimately reduced the number of attacks coming from Mbilli. He had, by Rounds 5 and 6, received enough spiteful shots inside, following punches of his own, to become that bit more wary of initiating exchanges and getting too carried away on the front foot. Soon he had found himself completely nullified by virtue of Alvarez’s ability to predict his every move and his own inability to produce anything different. This was never more evident than in Round 7, when Alvarez watched Mbilli load and release his right hand before then leaning back to evade it and responding with a beautiful right uppercut of his own. That sequence — the missing followed by immediate punishment — would explain much of Mbilli’s reticence throughout the second half of the fight. It also explained why Alvarez was so keen to stand in range with Mbilli and entice this aggressive and supposedly dangerous man into a brawl. 

It was control and it was power, and Alvarez had both in spades. In Round 8, when Mbilli landed to the back of Alvarez’s head, the four-weight world champion did no more than turn away, stop boxing, and suggest to the referee, Hector Afu, that he had been hit illegally. To then take it a step further, he even said to him, “That’s three times,” whereupon the referee docked a point from Mbilli. That’s control. That’s power.

Mbilli, meanwhile, had neither of those things. In each round he had little control, while his power, whether in his fists or more generally, was not substantial enough to either turn a losing position into a winning one or expect favorable scorecards from three ringside judges. Instead, by the time he and Alvarez reached the final round, the fight had become predictable to the point of monotony. Every round was the same as the last, it felt, and even when Mbilli managed to connect with his best punch of the fight in the final minute — a huge right hand with Alvarez against the ropes — he failed to follow up for fear of how Alvarez might respond. As a result, Alvarez, who took the shot well, simply walked Mbilli down, again put himself in harm’s way, and finished the fight as any Mexican would: Attacking, throwing punches, fighting. It came as no surprise, either, when “Canelo” rocked Mbilli with his own right hand in the dying seconds, so hungry was he to engage. Even less of a surprise was the unanimous decision (115-112, 116-111 and 117-110) he received shortly after the final bell. 

“I know he is a strong fighter,” said Alvarez (64-3-2, 39 KOs) in his post-fight interview. “He doesn’t throw a lot of punches [tonight] because it is difficult to throw punches with me.” 

Asked then if he should have done anything differently, the new champion said, “No, I did perfectly.”

He wasn’t perfect, of course, but then no fight or fighter ever is. Nor for that matter can a man who fights the way “Canelo” Alvarez likes to fight expect to come away from a fight unscathed, let alone perfect. He is too much of a risk-taker and too much of a fighter for that. He is too Mexican for that.

No, forget perfect. Last night was more a testament to his seasoning and his experience. It was the display of a 36-year-old now totally at ease in situations other men would find daunting, if not terrifying. Rather than dazzle, or roll back the years, Alvarez merely stuck to a game plan and obeyed strict orders out in Riyadh. He respected the hostile threat, he heeded the numerous warnings and, as advised, he remained calm at all times. Then, when against the ropes, he followed the instructions of Civil Defense. He had all his protective measures in place, meaning there was next to no chance of him being ambushed by an attack he never saw coming. In a word, he was ready. He was ready for Christian Mbilli and he was ready for the worst. 

Now, with a belt and no small amount of relief, “Canelo” is ready to go home. 

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