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“He wants his belt back”: Canelo ‘as close as ever’ to world title comeback fight

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A big update has been provided ahead of Canelo Alvarez‘s planned return to the ring.

His last fight took place in September when he defended his undisputed super-middleweight crown against Terence Crawford, but the Mexican superstar suffered an upset unanimous decision loss.

His hopes of securing a rematch with Crawford were ended when ‘Bud’ announced his retirement in December, with Canelo instead recovering from elbow surgery and targeting a return to action later this year, which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia in September.

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A number of opponents have been linked to a clash against Alvarez, but it seems that one world champion is the current frontrunner to secure the bout.

Speaking to FightsATW, promoter Camille Estephan claimed a clash between Canelo and his fighter Christian Mbilli is ‘as close as ever’ to happening.

“I think Canelo wants to fight Mbilli and Mbilli wants to fight Canelo. We have spoken many times, and the will is there to make it happen.

It’s as close as ever. Christian has the WBC title, and Canelo wants it back, but we don’t want to give it back.”

Mbilli has an unbeaten record of 29-0-1, with 24 of those wins coming by knockout. He became interim WBC super-middleweight champion last year, stopping Maciej Sulecki inside one round in June before a draw against Lester Martinez three months later.

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He has since been elevated to full WBC champion following Crawford’s retirement, and after spending several years stating his desire to secure a clash against Alvarez, it appears he could be on the brink of his wish becoming a reality.

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Is Sidney Crosby playing tonight against Dallas Stars? HC Dan Muse delivers latest update

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without their captain once again. Sidney Crosby has been ruled out for Saturday night’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, the team announced just hours before puck drop.

The Penguins’ official account confirmed the news early Saturday afternoon:

“Forwards Sidney Crosby (lower-body) and Evgeni Malkin (upper-body) will not play today versus Dallas and both remain day-to-day.”

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Head coach Dan Muse addressed the media before Saturday’s game but offered little clarity on the nature of Crosby’s injury or a potential timeline for his return.

“Same thing, day-to-day for the health today,” Muse said when asked about his captain’s status.

When pressed on whether this injury is connected to Crosby’s previous ailment suffered during the 2026 Olympics in February, Muse gave a cryptic response

“It’s an old body, and so I think not just for all the guys that are out right now. I’ll tell you how they’re listed, but not gonna go into it any other than that.”

This is Crosby’s second consecutive game on the sidelines after he exited Thursday’s contest against Ottawa with a lower-body injury. The Penguins captain played just 6:39 before leaving the game managing only a single 38-second shift in the second period.


Sidney Crosby’s injury woes started at the Olympics

Crosby’s injury woes began on Feb. 18 when his leg bent awkwardly during Canada’s quarterfinal game at the Winter Olympics. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the remainder of the tournament including Canada’s run to the gold medal.

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The Penguins captain returned to the Penguins lineup on Mar. 18 against Carolina, registering a goal and an assist in his comeback game. Thursday’s exit came in just his fifth game back since the Olympics.

Adding to Pittsburgh’s injury concerns, star center Evgeni Malkin will also miss Saturday’s game with an upper-body issue. The dual absences leave the Penguins without their top two centers at a critical juncture in the season.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Pittsburgh. The Penguins (36-20-16, 88 points) sit second in the Metropolitan Division but hold just a one-point lead over both Columbus and the New York Islanders in a tight playoff race.