Canelo Alvarez Back in the Saddle for Cinco De Mayo Showdown

Major fights glue millions of eyes to screens all over the world, and with Canelo Alvarez back in boxing news, the fight world is abuzz again. Looking back at when literally hundreds of millions of people tuned in to watch the ultimately very sluggish Paul vs Tyson fight, surely many tuned in to have something to talk about during their Monday morning Zoom meeting. But for most legit fights like the upcoming Canelo vs Scull fight, they will stay for the incredible excitement of the event. The atmosphere of big fight nights is electric. The prowess of the fighters and the pageantry of it all provides an unforgettable experience.

And now one of boxing’s royalty is back.

Canelo Alvarez puts back the boxing gloves to fight against William Scull on May 3 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While a lot of people will be focused on horse racing betting, since the Kentucky Derby is happening that Saturday, boxing fans will be tuning in to see the return of Alvarez in the ring.

The matchup has been anticipated for months. Here’s everything you need to know.

Canelo Alvarez Back in Spotlight

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is a Mexican professional boxer born in Guadalajara. Alvarez rose quickly to fame at an early age. While you were getting your learner’s permit, he was discovering the monetary value of punching people in the face. It’s a skill he has developed to the point of perfection in the twenty-five ensuing years. Having begun the sport professionally at just 15 years old, he has since risen to the very top.

“Canelo,” is actually a nickname, inspired by his red hair. In Spanish, “Canelo,” means cinnamon.

Alvarez’s record certainly speaks for itself. He’s accrued 62 wins, 39 of which ended with knockouts. He’s lost only twice. Once to Floyd Maywether Jr. back in 2013. Then, to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.

Alvarez is considered a rare and diverse talent, having risen to the top in four weight classes.

Outside the ring, Canelo has become one of boxing’s highest-paid athletes. He signed a $365 million deal with DAZN in 2018. The Mexican fighter has a massive global fanbase. His Cinco de Mayo weekend fights have become an annual tradition.

Who is William Scull?

William Scull is a Cuban boxer with a professional record of 23-0 with 9 knockouts, fighting in the super middleweight division. His boxing background is rooted in the Cuban amateur system.

Scull has been steadily building his career away from the mainstream spotlight. His perfect record has earned him this title opportunity against Canelo. Despite being undefeated, Scull remains relatively unknown to casual boxing fans.

Who is favored to win?

This fight might have taken place last year. Scull earned the right to be the “mandatory challenger” to Alvarez’s belt in 2024. Basically, this just means that based on Scull’s record, he was the only one deemed eligible to challenge Alvarez for his belt. Alvarez declined the fight, relinquishing his title in the process. Now, just one year later, he is looking to get it back.

It’s always difficult to predict the outcome of a boxing match. While the Tyson-Paul bout was fairly easy to guess—Tyson being nearly twice the age of his challenger—this event is less clear-cut.

It is true that Canelo is more experienced and well-established than his challenger. Going only off the men’s records, Alvarez would be the obvious favorite. Scull is quite a bit younger. He’s also just good.

While we don’t know what will happen, we can be sure that Alvarez is taking this fight seriously. “He has that Cuban school. It’s very complicated. He knows how to use the ring, he has a very good jab, he has qualities. He’s a world champion and I want to be an undisputed champion again, a two-time undisputed champion.”

Here’s what we can say for sure with Canelo Alvarez back: Boxing fans have a heck of a good event to look forward to.

Main photo credit: Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom