Canelo Alvarez accused of rigging the ref in Mbilli win.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez cruised to a conclusive win on Saturday, beating now-former WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh.

It sealed his return to boxing's elite ranks after a 13-month layoff.

At age 36, more than two decades into his professional career, Canelo has still only been beaten by the sport's best fighters.

Terence Crawford, now retired, was the last to do so in 2025, following Dmitry Bivol three years earlier.

Both defeated the Mexican star by decision.

But this past weekend, Canelo showed he has more than enough left in his fistic arsenal to outclass the world's best, even as he nears the end of his run.

So, what's next for boxing's biggest star?

Here are the seven most likely names for Canelo Alvarez's next fight, ranked from pipe dreams to surefire possibilities.

7. TERENCE CRAWFORD REMATCH

Canelo might, one day, be able to lure Terence Crawford out of retirement, but it is doubtful that day is any time soon.

It's the fight Canelo appears to covet most.

He told Fight Hub backstage on Saturday "let's hope" Crawford cuts his retirement short to engage him in a do-over, now that he has the WBC belt back in his possession.

"We'd love to have that rematch," Canelo said.

It's also a rematch Canelo's longtime trainer and manager Eddy Reynoso wants for his fighter.

Crawford defeated Canelo by decision in 2025.

A rematch would give Canelo a chance to avenge the only loss on his record in the last three years.

But Crawford has shown no public interest in returning to the ring.

6. JAKE PAUL

"The Problem Child" recently announced his return to the ring for Dec. 24, fighting former kickboxer and MMA star Cedric Doumbe at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Though Netflix would likely be interested, the prospect of Canelo vs. Paul remains enough of a gimmick to be at odds with where Alvarez is at right now.

That is, a championship-level fighter capable of taking on unification fights, rather than carnival ones that serve as a stepping stone toward retirement.

Canelo has repeatedly dismissed the idea of fighting Jake Paul as unserious.

5. HAMZAH SHEERAZ

The undefeated British middleweight contender has been calling for a shot at Canelo for months.

Sheeraz holds a 22-0 record with 18 knockouts.

He fights at 160 pounds, which would require moving up to 168 to meet Canelo.

Sheeraz has no major title at super middleweight, which makes the fight less attractive for Canelo's legacy.

But the matchup would generate significant interest in the UK market.

4. DAVID BENAVÍDEZ

A fight between Canelo and David Benavidez remains one of the biggest bouts the sport could book.

It's always seemed unrealistic, but now is a non-starter, considering trainer Eddy Reynoso's comments earlier this year that the matchup is now dead.

With Benavidez now being a unified cruiserweight world champion, there is too much of a gulf in weight between the division Benavidez is set to defend his WBA and WBO unified titles in (200 pounds) and the one Canelo fought in over the weekend (168 pounds).

Benavidez has been the most vocal critic of Canelo's performance against Mbilli.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, as reported by Bad Left Hook, Benavidez took issue with how Alvarez approached his weekend win.

"He earns all this money, he's supposed to be the greatest fighter in the world, right?" Benavidez said.

"We expect him to go in there and knock this guy out. We don't expect him to just go in there and look for counter shots."

Benavidez argued that a fighter of Alvarez's caliber should be chasing stoppages from the opening bell through twelve rounds when facing lesser opposition.

He invoked Julio Cesar Chavez as the model for how to capitalize on an overmatched foe.

"If the other guy is not throwing any shots, then be Canelo," Benavidez said.

"Go in there, put pressure on, use your defense, use your head movement, go in there — just like how he did it with Caleb Plant."

Benavidez made clear he considers Alvarez the superior fighter with more tools at his disposal.

His complaint was not about ability but about application.

"So, in my opinion, you're getting $40M, $50M, that's a lot of money," Benavidez said.

"You [should] be ready to push it to the limit every single round, from round one to round 12."

"And I'm not trying to talk sh-t or nothing, but is that not true? Is that not what you guys see?"

"There's just a lot of waiting going on."

Benavidez said he thinks Canelo could knock out all these guys, especially Mbilli.

"Mbilli was fighting scared but you know you're going to get a guy to fight scared — put the pressure on, do some Julio Cesar Chavez and get that knockout," Benavidez said.

"He's too much of a good fighter to just be cruising like that, especially earning them top dollars."

3. PROMOTER ACCUSATIONS OF REFEREE INFLUENCE

Promoter Camille Estephan publicly alleged that Alvarez could have influenced the referee during the fight.

Estephan did not provide specific evidence for the claim.

Canelo's camp has not issued a public response to the accusation as of this writing.

The allegation adds a layer of controversy to what was otherwise a clear victory.

Boxing commissions typically investigate such claims when they are made publicly by licensed promoters.

No investigation has been announced.

2. DMITRY BIVOL REMATCH

Bivol defeated Canelo by decision in 2022.

A rematch has been discussed for years but never finalized.