Canelo Álvarez Expects A Difficult Fight Against William Scull

Unified super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Álvarez of Guadalajara, Mexico (62-2-2, 39 KOs) seeks to make history when he takes on IBF titleholder William Scull of Matanzas, Cuba (23-0, 9 KOs) at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 3. The 168-pound undisputed championship bout is set as the main event of a Riyadh Season card, which will air live on DAZN pay-per-view.

“I feel great, that motivate myself,” said Álvarez, with a crowd of cheering fans at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. “Fighting in another country, I feel great about it; motivated. And you know this fight is very important to me. I never take nothing easy. I always train one hundred percent, because I know he (Scull) have a lot of skills. But you know there’s no other Canelo out there. So I’m gonna prepare myself and put on a good show in Saudi Arabia.”

Álvarez Out To Reclaim Stripped IBF Title

Álvarez will fight in Saudi Arabia for the first time in his career, a different atmosphere from the arenas in Las Vegas that he usually headlines during Cinco de Mayo weekend. The four-division world champion aims to capture his second undisputed championship at 168 pounds as he puts the WBO, WBC, and WBA titles on the line against the undefeated Scull.

The Guadalajara native became the first undisputed super middleweight champion in the four-belt era with an eleventh-round TKO victory against then-IBF titleholder Caleb Plant of Nashville, Tennessee (23-2, 14 KOs) in November 2021. He made four consecutive defenses of the undisputed championship, with wins over Gennadiy Golovkin in a trilogy match, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, and Jaime Munguia. 

Alvarez was stripped of the IBF title last July, after he opted to face Edgar Berlanga of Brooklyn (22-1, 17 KOs), over the IBF mandatory challenger Scull. Canelo went on to defeat Berlanga in a one-sided unanimous decision win last September.

“You know it’s gonna be difficult,” said Álvarez. “Because his (Scull) style, the Cuban style, is a little bit complicated. But like always, I want to try my best. And I’m gonna be in the ring, like boxing is. Hurt your opponent as much as you can. And I’m going to do that (on) May 3.”

Scull Confident He’ll Foil Canelo Álvarez’s Plans

Scull will finally get his shot against Álvarez after the IBF sanctioning body had previously ordered negotiations for a fight to be completed by last June. With a potential matchup between Álvarez and WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford of Omaha, Nebraska (41-0, 31 KOs) being rumored for September in Las Vegas, Scull is viewed as a tune-up opponent. 

“That’s just how boxing is sometimes,” said Scull, through an interpreter, on being treated as a tune-up fight for Álvarez. “I’m firm, I’m secure in what I want to do. And come May 3, I know that I’m going to display the best of my talents. And I’m going to be the best that I can be in order to pull off the upset. I’m going to shut everybody up, you’ll see.”

The native of Cuba defeated Vladimir Shishkin of Stepnoe, Russia (16-1, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision for the vacant IBF super middleweight title last October. In what will be his first defense of the IBF title, Scull assures that his matchup with Álvarez is far from a tune-up. 

“My message to everybody is that everything is possible,” said Scull. “And I’m really proud to represent all of Cuba in this fight. I’m going to be ready, and I’m going to be the best that I can. That’s all I promise, and it’s going to be a great fight. I promise you that too.”