Christian Mbilli (27 years old, 1.74m, 24 wins, including 20 before the limit, 0 losses) beat on the night of March 23 to 24 in Montreal, the Ecuadorian left-hander Carlos Gongora (33 years old, 1.85m, 21 v., 2 d.) on points (97-93, 98-92, 99-91). With this victory, the French retains his two belts (WBC Continental Americas, WBA International) super middleweight (-76.203 kg). “We had a five-star fight, launched Mbilli in the ring at the end of the fight. I proved that I can be world champion. I have proven that my dreams are attainable. Very quickly, Christian Mbilli should become the WBC world number 1 super middleweight. The WBC (World Boxing Council) is one of the four international boxing federations. A sport where in the rankings, it is always very complicated to find oneself.
If we want to summarize, we must refer to the BoxRec site which mixes all the federations to find that in his category, Christian Mbilli is today the world number 5. He is the Frenchman who, at the moment, is the closest to a world belt. He could join Arsen Goulamirian who has held the WBA light heavyweight title since 2019: “I don’t like left-handers and Gongora hurt me, it’s true, admitted Mbilli still in the ring. But I reviewed my work, my suffering in training, my career goals, so I told myself that I had to show my c…. I went looking for energy deep within myself. »
At home in France, Christian Mbilli is not well known. He has lived in Canada for 6 years and rarely comes to fight in France. He did it last December in Nantes not far from his home but it remains an exception. Christian Mbili was part of the formidable French team at the Rio Games in 2016 which, a little too temporarily, brought boxing back to center stage. Only he did not return a medalist. He had failed in the quarterfinals against the future gold medalist. To digest the disappointment, he set sail for a new life and Canada. Out of sight and a little out of mind too: “I obviously regret not being better known in France, says the boxer from Montargis. But it is a career choice that I assume. I had my first opportunities in Canada in 2016 and now, because of the contracts, it’s much harder to come back to fight in France. »
On the other side of the Atlantic, without the support of the public of his country, the still undefeated boxer multiplies the fights. From Team Solide present in Rio he was 7 years old, he is the one who has boxed the most: 24 fights when Souleymane Cissokho (16), Tony Yoka and Mathieu Bauderlique (13) the other medalists from Rio turned pro at the same time as him settle for less. “In the media, my path has been more complicated than for others, continues the Canadian by adoption. But if we look at the only sporting point, I do not regret anything. Going to Canada allowed me to erase the disappointment of the Games to go back to battle. »
“Boxing is a complicated sport”
He rarely fought in the “main event”, in the main fight of his evening, more often in the “undercard” in a coaching fight, but he never suffered from it. Above all, he reaps the fruits. Here he is today very close to consecration: “I don’t know yet how many fights I miss before I can have my chance to compete for a world belt, the boxer told us a few weeks ago. One, two three or five? I do not know. Boxing is a complicated sport. Obviously my part and my results count, but they are not enough. There is business, TV channels and a political side that also come into play. To have a global chance, all these planets must align at the same time. It’s a matter of timing. I just know that I’m on the right track for it to happen. Because I am very well placed in all the rankings and if we only stay on my boxing, I can have my world chance tomorrow. »
In his category, the (for the moment) undisputed number, all federations combined, is the Mexican Saul Alvarez, holding all the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF belts, the goal is to challenge him, one day in 2023 or 2024: “I devote myself 100% to my sport and tell myself that I will have this world chance very soon, I hope, it gives me butterflies in my stomach, continues the Frenchman. It also gives a little pressure but I don’t think about it. I’m taking it step by step and hopefully it will take me to the top. »