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A Risky Battle For Christian Mbilli On March 23
After impressing boxing fans in 2022 with explosive
performances that propelled him to the peak of the rankings,
Christian Mbilli (23-0, 20 KOs) is looking to continue his
success in 2023. Next March 23, he will confront his first
adversary of the year, as he puts his WBC and WBA
International Continental of the Americas titles on the line
against heavy-hitter Carlos Gongora (21-1, 16 KOs) in the
grand finale of a Cabaret du Casino de Montréal event,
simulcast starting at 7:00 pm on ESPN+ in the USA.
Thanks to his powerful KO of Nadjib Mohammedi that went
viral, his decisive second-round victory against DeAndre
Ware, and his win in an intense 10-rounder against Vaughn
Alexander in France last December, Christian Mbilli finds
himself 2nd in the WBC rankings, 5th in the WBA rankings,
and 7th in the IBO rankings. In addition, he is ranked 5th
worldwide by the prestigious Ring Magazine. 2023 will be a
pivotal year for his development and for his quest for a
word championship fight, and his opponents will leave him
very little room for error, as EOTTM general manager Antonin
Décarie points out.
“Christian never ceases to impress me. Fight after fight, he
showcases not only his talent but also his earnestness, and
his will to win and to face the very best. Gongora is not
only the strongest opponent he has ever faced, but also one
of the best fighters to have climbed into the ring at the
Casino de Montréal. He’s much bigger than Christian, a
southpaw with enough punching power to quickly put an end to
the fight at any time. He is exactly the type of boxer we
usually want to avoid.”
Gongora's impressive ring smarts, acquired as an amateur in
two Pan-American Games, in 2007 and in 2011, and in the
Olympics, were a solid foundation for his professional
career. He won the world IBO super-middleweight title
against rising star Ali Akhmedov, and held it until December
2021, when he lost a split decision in an explosive duel
against Lerrone Richards. Currently ranked 8th in the world
by BoxRec, the native of Ecuador is a force to be reckoned
with and just as feared as Mbilli in their division at the
moment. This fight could go either way, but one thing for
sure is that it will be electrifying for the fans at the
Cabaret du Casino de Montréal.
In the semi-final, Simon Kean (22-1, 21 KOs) will confront
American Eric Molina (29-8, 21 KOs) in a battle that is sure
to be intense, given both boxers’ striking power. Details of
the undercard featuring Mary Spencer (7-1, 5 KOs), Steve
Claggett (33-7-2, 23 KOs), Leïla Beaudoin (8-0, 1 KO), and
Luis Santana (8-0, 2 KOs) will be revealed shortly.
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