Former world-level contender Matthew Hatton has urged Canelo Alvarez to retire now, arguing that a defeat to Christian Mbilli this weekend would tarnish the Mexican fighter's carefully built legacy. According to Sky Sports, Hatton, the brother of British boxing legend Ricky, made the comments ahead of Canelo's WBC super-middleweight title challenge in Riyadh on Saturday.
Hatton faced Canelo back in 2011 in what was the Mexican superstar's first world title fight, and he remains impressed by what he witnessed that night.
When I agreed to the fight he was being billed as the next big superstar in world boxing. There was a lot of hype surrounding him and the build-up was fantastic.
The European champion and world-level contender was struck by Canelo's technical ability even at that early stage of his career.
It's easy to underestimate people when they're so young and I think I possibly did that a little bit. His shot selection, his punch-picking, his variety for such a young man was really, really good. His boxing IQ for someone so young was remarkable really.
Looking back across Canelo's entire career, Hatton expressed genuine admiration for the scale of his achievements.
When you look at his record, the amount of fights he's had at the very top level, it's absolutely incredible really. He's a modern-day great.
Yet despite that respect, Hatton believes the time has come for Canelo to step away from the sport while his reputation remains unblemished.
Personally I would like to see Canelo stop now, he's had such a good career, he's had a fantastic legacy and I think it's a shame when they go on too long.
Canelo is returning to action following his unanimous-decision loss to Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025, which cost him the undisputed super-middleweight championship. Hatton acknowledged that Canelo retains the quality to overcome his Saudi Arabian opponent.
I do think he's still got enough left to beat Mbilli. I think it's an interesting fight.
However, Hatton issued a stark warning about the consequences of defeat.
I know people say it doesn't tarnish their legacy but for me, slightly, it does. Say he was to lose to Mbilli on the weekend for me it does tarnish that a little bit.
The former contender acknowledged that different fighters view retirement differently, but made his own position crystal clear.
We all look at that differently. I would like to see him retire now.
Mbilli arrives unbeaten with knockout power
Canelo's challenger brings formidable credentials to the ring. Mbilli entered the bout with a 29-0-1 record and 24 knockouts, while Canelo's record stood at 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts. The Canadian's only blemish before the bout was a draw against Lester Martinez in his previous fight.
Mbilli has made no secret of his belief that Canelo made a tactical error in selecting him as an opponent. According to reports, the challenger stated:
He's made a mistake, and I'm going to make him pay.
Fight proceeds amid regional security concerns
The bout is going ahead in Saudi Arabia despite escalating tensions in the region. Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi airports, including Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, while security concerns have led to the postponement or cancellation of other sporting events in the kingdom. The fight was still scheduled to go ahead as of October 28, despite U.S. orders for non-essential embassy staff and their families in Riyadh to leave Saudi Arabia.
Canelo has expressed his determination to compete regardless of the circumstances.
You know, fighting in Saudi for me is special and whatever it takes I'm going to be a world champion again. Because I'm a fighter and I want to achieve a lot of things in boxing yet and that motivates myself. I love boxing.
