The WBC Mandates A Rematch Between Christian Mbilli And Lester Martinez

The WBC has officially ordered a rematch between Lester Martinez and WBC interim super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli after the two battled to a 12-round split draw last Saturday, September 13, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) and Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) went to war on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford. Christian kept Martinez pinned to the ropes the entire fight, landing punches to the head and body.

The Problem with Shoving

Lester did a lot of shoving and shouldering, which the referee ignored. Without that, there’s a good chance Mbilli would have won because he was constantly being pushed hard. Shoving is allowed, but not to the extent that it becomes excessive, as Martinez was doing. Excessive shoving is considered a foul in boxing.  This referee ignored it.

The Scores

• 95-95
• 97-93: Martinez
• 96-94: Mbilli

The Mbilli-Martinez fight stole the show from the headline match, making it pale in comparison. The fight showcased the difference between two younger fighters in their prime and two aging ones, both on the wrong side of 30, and no longer what they once were. Mbilli and Martinez both showed that they would have been more suited in the main event, fighting Canelo or Crawford.

Punch Stats and Analysis

• Christian Mbilli: 273 punches connected of 787 for 35%
• Lester Martinez: 412 of 980 for 42%

Mbilli would have thrown more punches, but he was frequently being shoved to the outside by Martinez. That forced Mbilli to walk through Lester’s shots to get back to the inside. It was a rinse-and-repeat process throughout the night. Mbilli would get inside, land rapid-fire combinations, and then get shoved hard by Martinez.

Many fans would prefer that the WBC had ordered newly crowned undisputed champion Terence Crawford to defend against Mbilli, given that he’s the interim champion and mandatory for that belt. Mbilli became WBC mandatory earlier this year when he knocked out Maciej Sulecki in the first round on June 27.

Martinez would be an excellent option to challenge for the title, but he’s friends with Crawford. So, it’s questionable whether he would agree to fight him if the WBC had ordered the two to fight.