Canelo Alvarez Reclaims Super Middleweight Belt and Top 10 Rank

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is back in the top ten of boxing's pound-for-pound rankings. The 36-year-old Mexican fighter sits at No. 9 this week after winning the WBC super middleweight title last Saturday. He defeated previously unbeaten Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision, reclaiming a 168-pound crown in his first fight in 13 months.

Alvarez returned to the ring after elbow surgery and a loss to Terence Crawford. Crawford, weeks shy of his 38th birthday, had moved up in weight to take Alvarez's undisputed title by clear decision before retiring in September. Questions arose about whether the aging star would fade, but Alvarez proved otherwise in his 69th career fight.

The Mexican controlled the typically aggressive Mbilli as the rounds progressed. He kept the champion from exchanging in the later stages, relying on heavy counterpunching and sharp head movement. His defense and jab dominated the second half of the bout, showing a level of efficiency that has grown with his age.

Alvarez turned professional at 15 and has been the sport's major star for over a decade. He is now 64-3-2 with 35 knockouts. The fighter has spoken about wanting rematches with Crawford and light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. Critics still point to his avoidance of David Benavidez when the two shared a division.

The 168-pound division remains stacked with contenders like Hamzah Sheeraz, Lester Martinez, and Janibek Alimkhabuly. Naoya Inoue held the No. 1 spot after a major win in Japan. Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez stayed at No. 2 after winning a bantamweight title. David Benavidez remained at No. 3 after a cruiserweight knockout, with a fight against Michael Cieslak set for Dec. 12.

Shakur Stevenson kept the No. 4 rank after a January win over Teofimo Lopez Jr. Oleksandr Usyk stayed at No. 5 following his retirement from active duty. Dmitry Bivol sat at No. 6 ahead of a Dec. 12 bout against Callum Smith. Jaron Ennis, Devin Haney, and O'Shaquie Foster completed the top ten, with Haney rising to No. 8 after a recent win.