In an important super middleweight bout, unbeaten WBC #2, WBA #5, WBO #13 Christian Mbilli (23-0, 20 KOs) will take on WBC #10, IBF #13 Carlos Gongora (21-1, 16 KOs) on March 23 at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal. The WBC Continental Americas and WBA International will be on the line, and the bout will air in the U.S. on ESPN+.
In the co-feature, heavyweight Simon Kean (22-1, 21 KOs) will face Eric Molina (29-8, 21 KOs). Other bouts on tap will feature 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) in separate bouts. Opponents will be named later.
This is a very good fight! I think Mbilli is the goods, but if he isn’t, Gongora would definitely be the guy to find out. He probably isn’t getting a title shot anytime soon, but if he can beat a guy like Gongora (and do it clearly), that’ a very good sign and he’s just 27 anyway.
I’m assuming that his promoter just doesn’t think very highly of Simon Kean?? Why call Eric Molina? WHY?
Eric Molina should be a decent test. The top heavyweights aren’t jumping to fight each other. This gives opportunities for top sparring partners to fill in the gaps.
I think Molina’s days of providing a “decent test” to solid heavyweights are over NJ. He’s 40 now and he’s not as useful as he once was; if he does test you then you aren’t very good. Even Eddie Hearn said a couple of years ago that though he adores him, he couldn’t use Eric Molina anymore on his shows because he just didn’t try as hard anymore.
I remember that comment from Hearn after Molina fought the Savage I believe. I agreed with Hearn…it looked like he could have tried harder. The main event on this card looks good and if my circumstances were a bit different I might be tempted to make the 6 hour drive. But other then the main event it looks like it will be a diet of show case fights. That is not the worse thing but one should be aware of this before going.
That was it Pete. He fought Babic and Hearn said that he was paying him too much money for no effort and that was after he had him for Fabio Wardley and Hrgovic and AJ back in the day. And Simon Kean is 34. I think I just kind of figured after they got him for Makhmudov that maybe they’d get Takam back for Kean. That’d be a pretty good fight actually even after Takam – Yoka.
Main even is awesome, but no way I’d drive 6 hours to see it and…. maybe 4-5 blowouts.
Gongora has sweet hands. Natural boxer.
Ive been looking for him to make a run.
Here we go again, the drummer boy just doesn’t know when to quit. Can someone please break the drum once and for all