Christian Mbilli delivered the statement he was looking to make in his final in-ring performance.
A dominant performance came from France’s Mbilli, a 2016 Olympic quarterfinalist and current super middleweight contender who outpointed Toledo’s DeAndre Ware. The last of three knockdowns provided an immediate stoppage at 2:20 of the second round in his main event broadcast on ESPN+ on Friday night from the Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada.
It was suggested that the fight would be Mbilli’s toughest test to date. Ware was stopped earlier but never dominated early on as was the case on Friday. Both fighters looked to establish their power early in the contest, simultaneously throwing left hooks. Mbilli’s was the much more revealing blow, sending Ware to the canvas just a minute into the contest.
Ware beat the count but his night would never get any better. Mbilli continued to apply pressure, rocking the American with a right hand near the end of the first round.
Mbilli mixed up his attack in the second round, working the body and then bringing his power shots upstairs. A left hook to the body froze Ware along the ropes, with a slashing right hand to the temple that sent him to the canvas midway through the second round. The 34-year-old trial horse beat the count but couldn’t hold off Mbilli.
A final right hand upstairs sent Ware back to the canvas, this time causing referee Alain Villeneuve to stop the contest.
Ware drops to 15-4-2 (9KOs), having suffered three knockout losses in his last five starts. A modest two-fight win streak preceded his first fight in Canada and only his second overall outside the US.
Mbilli cruises to 22-0 (20KOs) with the win, his second in a row inside the distance and both at this spot since signing with Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM). The 27-year-old Cameroon-born knockout artist has now stopped seven of his last eight opponents, including four in the last 12 months.
Two regional titles were earned with the victory as Mbilli hopes to move up the super middleweight rankings.
A title shot could be hard to come by as Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (57-2-2, 39KOs) owns all four major titles, three of which have set up mandatory challengers awaiting a shot at the biggest box office attraction. of sport. With a new production deal between EOTTM and ESPN+, there is at least one platform for Mbilli to stay active while he awaits a shot at the division’s top prize.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
