'Phenomenal': Jake Paul, Terence Crawford and more react to Canelo Alvarez's vintage win over Christian Mbilli

· Yahoo Sports

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez turned back the clock Saturday night, and the boxing world took notice.

The Mexican superstar returned from a 13-month layoff to defeat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision and reclaim the WBC super middleweight championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Alvarez delivered a vintage performance, using his experience, aggression and precision punching to get the better of the previously unbeaten Mbilli.

Visit extonnews.click for more information.

The victory marked Alvarez's first fight since losing to Terence Crawford in September 2025, a defeat that raised questions about how much the 36-year-old former two-time undisputed champion had left in the tank.

Those questions received a strong answer Saturday, as Alvarez earned his first victory in more than a year and improved his professional record to 64-3-2 (39 KOs).

Among those reacting to the result was Jake Paul, who praised Alvarez's performance while once again teasing a potential fight between the two.

"Out of the ring for 13 months but still the same old Canelo. Respect," Paul wrote on social media. "Did take a lot of punches though. We will dance my friend, we will dance."

Paul and Alvarez were previously linked to a potential blockbuster boxing match before Alvarez signed a lucrative deal with Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season in 2025.

Other observers were similarly impressed with the veteran's showing. One reaction, from former British boxer, promoter and analyst David Coldwell, summed up the fight accurately and succinctly in just three words: "Old manned him."

See how the rest of the boxing world reacted to “Canelo's” win below.

For more on Canelo vs. Mbilli, including live results, play-by-play and highlights of Saturday's entire main card, check out Uncrowned's fight night hub.

Read full story at source