Andre Berto Warns Canelo Against a Mbilli Return Fight

Former welterweight champion Andre Berto is not talking about titles when he looks at Canelo Alvarez and what comes next. He is talking about wear. About how a fight feels. About what happens when a boxer cannot choose when to breathe.

That is why Berto has warned Canelo against picking Christian Mbilli as his first fight back after the loss to Terence Crawford. He does not see Mbilli as a reset. He sees a fight that starts fast and stays heavy.

Mbilli does not give ground. He stays close and keeps moving forward. He throws enough punches to force reactions and is comfortable when rounds turn physical. He crowds opponents and keeps them there. From Berto’s point of view, that style strips away control and replaces it with constant work.

Mbilli is 30 and unbeaten. He fights in a way that wears on opponents rather than waiting for clean moments. He stays in range and keeps pressure steady. Berto believes that kind of fight lines up poorly with the version of Alvarez seen against Crawford, where his output faded and his legs slowed as the rounds went on.

Alvarez is 35 now. Questions about stamina have followed him into recent fights and showed again in September. Berto believes a pressure-heavy opponent would make that the story of the fight. There would be little room to slow things down. Any dip would show quickly.

“Is that the type of fight that Canelo wants coming off that loss?” Berto said while speaking to The Ring. “Mbilli is dangerous. He’s violent. He’s not going to care about your health, and he’s not going to care about his.”

Berto has mentioned Hamzah Sheeraz as another option. Sheeraz is also unbeaten, but he fights at range and keeps a more upright stance. Berto sees that as a fight where Alvarez could set distance and take stock without being dragged into a steady grind.

Mbilli’s interim title does not change Berto’s view. This is about timing. Some fights give space to settle back in. Others demand answers right away. Berto believes Mbilli would do the latter, which is why he sees it as the wrong choice for Alvarez right now.