If Canelo wants to keep his risk profile manageable while cashing the biggest check possible, Hamzah Sheeraz is the ideal option for September.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has made it clear that he wants the biggest names on the biggest stages. Assuming Sheeraz defeats Alem Begic on May 23 and wins the vacant WBO super middleweight title, he will enter the conversation with a belt, undefeated record and new event appeal.
Style can also matter. Mbilli is an aggressive, high-output fighter who forces opponents to work every round. At this stage of Canelo’s career, that may seem less attractive than a taller opponent like Sheeraz, who has shown vulnerability in previous fights.
Mbilli would force Canelo into a high-cardio, high-damage war. At 35, Canelo has no incentive to take that much punishment for a fight that probably does less PPV buys than a UK-backed Sheeraz event.
Sheeraz was pushed hard by Carlos Adames in a fight that many felt could have gone the other way, and he was badly shaken by Austin Williams before recovering.
Other names seem weaker. Jaime Munguia has already been beaten by Canelo, which makes a second fight difficult to justify as a premium attraction unless he pulls off a huge comeback win. Jose Armando Resendiz doesn’t have the profile to headline a September event of this magnitude.
The dangerous path may be IBF champion Osleys Iglesias, a younger puncher who is considered by many to be one of the toughest threats at 168. This is also why he seems the least likely option.
Fighting Iglesias is a legacy move with a downside. There’s a reason he’s the least likely option. He has the power to knock out even the most durable veterans, but he doesn’t yet have the global following to justify that risk to Canelo.
A fight against a newly crowned British champion, Sheeraz, in Saudi Arabia is an easier sell to the world public than a grueling mandatory defense against a big Frenchman, Mbilli.
