Facing one of the greatest boxers of all time, such as Canelo Alvarez, is something that takes years of preparation, long before even making a professional debut. What the public sees are the fights. But behind the major moments that make headlines, there are people who witness an entire body of work, much of it invisible, that represents the majority of the journey it takes to get there.
That is particularly true for Samuel Décarie-Drolet, Christian Mbilli’s assistant coach, who has had the opportunity to watch him grow and become the boxer he is today, just weeks away from a major showdown.
He doesn’t mince his words. According to him, Christian always goes the extra mile, and he never wants to finish second.
As he prepares for his world championship fight scheduled for October 31, Samuel Décarie-Drolet shared five stories about the French fighter, revealing moments that made him realize his boxer would one day become the king of his division.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Christian Mbilli and Samuel Décarie-Drolet
The origin of the nickname “Solide”
“From the beginning of his amateur career, his nickname was Solide, and the entire French amateur team was called Team Solide. That nickname came from Christian,” the coach revealed.
He recalls that when Mbilli was still competing as an amateur at 75 kg, there were an incredible number of talented boxers in his division.
At the time, competitions in his weight class would begin one day earlier than the others.
The entire team hoped Christian would be the one to get the competition underway for the French team, in order to “set the tone.”
And Samuel describes those fights as “world wars.”
“It’s no small thing. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, France had several medalists. And once again, the team was called Solide. That says a lot about the individual,” the coach explains.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Christian Mbilli and Samuel Décarie-Drolet
Christian and Samuel’s first meeting
“The first time I met him, I saw the seriousness behind what he was doing,” Samuel Décarie-Drolet says emphatically.
He explains that when the Frenchman came to Montreal with the coach of the French national team, he immediately recognized how serious Christian was and what kind of person he was.
“It inspired confidence in me,” he adds.
Samuel also points out that, in his eyes, every decision Christian makes represents an investment in himself.
When he decided to settle in Montreal more permanently, it didn’t take him long to buy a condo and invest his money.
“He didn’t take vacations, he didn’t go on trips, he wasn’t buying himself a car. He was investing, and I see a parallel with his boxing career,” explains Samuel Décarie-Drolet.
He also adds that Christian could have chosen to move to the United States, but instead chose to invest in himself and made what he believed was the best decision for his career.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Christian Mbilli
Training sessions with Artur Beterbiev
It’s no secret that Christian Mbilli and Artur Beterbiev both train under Marc Ramsay.
For a young boxer, walking into the gym and finding himself across from a fighter of Artur Beterbiev’s caliber must be quite an experience.
But in Christian’s eyes, it was simply an opportunity to learn and grow by being around such a high-level athlete.
“Even when he wasn’t preparing for a fight, Christian would follow Artur’s routine to get back into shape. And something I noticed, whether he’s training with Artur or someone else, is that Christian never wants to be second best. When he does something, it’s to be number one,” says the assistant coach.
Let’s be clear, Artur Beterbiev is no ordinary opponent. He is one of the outstanding champions we’ve seen in recent years.
But Christian wasn’t intimidated by his presence. He drew inspiration from him and even tried to outdo him.
And it’s the same regardless of who his training partner is.
“If the other person does 10 rounds, Christian will do 10 as well, but with more intensity. Otherwise, he’ll do 10 at the same pace and then do an 11th round afterward,” Samuel explains.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Christian Mbilli and Samuel Décarie-Drolet
The infamous eighth round against Gongora
“When Christian was caught cleanly in the eighth round against Gongora, we told him to hold on or even take a knee. He decided to stay on his feet and hold on a little, to survive, but in his mind, there was never any question of taking a knee,” the coach recalls.
What’s even more impressive, for those who remember the fight, is that Christian eventually went on to win the second half of the eighth round.
Obviously, when the bell rang, his opponent had won the round, but it was still a tremendous display of strength of character.
“When he got back to the corner, a lot of boxers would have panicked or waited to hear what their coach had to say, but not Christian. When he got to the corner, he looked at Marc and said, ‘let’s let the horses run,’” Samuel adds.
This fits with his personal rule of never wanting to be second.
There was no scenario in Christian’s mind in which he could afford to give up.
At that moment, he decided to go after Gongora with only one thing in mind.
And you can’t say it wasn’t successful — he won the fight.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Christian Mbilli and Samuel Décarie-Drolet
An extra source of motivation
But beyond all the work he has put in and the fight Christian has wanted for several years, there is a much deeper meaning in the boxer’s heart.
His mother sadly passed away following a battle with cancer.
“He had promised his mother that he would become world champion, and he was able to do it, but he also wanted to make a lot of money so he could take care of her,” Samuel Décarie-Drolet says.
It should also be remembered that Canelo decided to postpone the fight from its original date due to family issues.
Christian, for his part, returned to training even after this tragic event.
Those around him have even confirmed that he has doubled down on his efforts during his final training sessions.
While the death of a loved one can serve as a source of distraction for some athletes, Christian Mbilli’s assistant coach instead sees this devastating loss as an additional source of motivation.
“His mother had a fight against cancer, which she lost. Now he has a fight, not against cancer, but he won’t want to lose it,” Samuel concluded.
