As anticipation builds for Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford blockbuster in Las Vegas, Shakur Stevenson has turned attention to the undercard. The reigning WBC lightweight champion shocked fans by predicting that Lester Martinez will upset heavy favorite Christian Mbilli in their battle for the WBC interim super-middleweight title.
Mbilli enters the Allegiant Stadium ring as the proven contender, with victories over names such as Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Maciej Sulecki bolstering his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous punchers. The French-based powerhouse is seen by many as a future world champion and a leading contender to face the Canelo-Crawford winner.
But Stevenson isn’t convinced the favorite will prevail. Posting on X, he urged fans to back Martinez, calling him the underdog capable of overturning the odds. Martinez is best known as Crawford’s Guatemalan sparring partner and brings his own momentum into the clash, highlighted by a career-best win over Carlos Gongora and a knockout of Joeshon James earlier this year.
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Beyond the professional ranks, Martinez also carries pedigree from the amateurs, where he famously defeated Cuba’s double Olympic champion Arlen Lopez to end Guatemala’s 68-year gold medal drought at the Central American and Caribbean Games. A win on Saturday could not only derail Mbilli’s charge but also put Martinez in line to become Guatemala’s first-ever world champion.
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