Canelo Alvarez`s super middleweight championship bout against William Scull was widely anticipated as a straightforward affair leading up to Saturday`s event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it unfolded precisely as expected.
Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) secured the undisputed super middleweight championship status for the second time, defeating Scull (23-1, 9 KOs) by decision. This win allowed Alvarez to reclaim the IBF title, which he had lost the previous year after opting not to fight Scull at that time.
The victory on Saturday formally paved the way for a much-awaited fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford, scheduled for September 12th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Crawford was present at the event and promptly entered the ring for a face-to-face encounter with Alvarez following the fight.
While the outcome aligned with boxing`s expectations and desires, achieving it required enduring a rather tedious 12-round contest on Saturday. Scull, a 32-year-old fighter from Cuba, largely remained on the defensive throughout the championship match, moving along the ring`s edges and throwing tentative jabs lacking power. Alvarez consistently advanced towards Scull but refrained from launching overly aggressive attacks.
The fight proved simple to score in favor of Alvarez but was challenging for spectators to watch due to its lack of action. Alvarez secured the win with judges` scores of 119-109, 116-112, and 115-113.
“I dislike fighting opponents who adopt that style,” stated Alvarez. “They appear focused solely on surviving the full distance. That`s precisely why I avoid such matchups. The fight against Crawford won`t resemble this one. I genuinely detest these inactive bouts. He moved around even more than anticipated. But it`s fine. We won. We are ready [for the next challenge].”
In contrast, Alvarez expressed that facing an aggressive fighter like Crawford would be a “pleasure.”
“I feel excellent,” Alvarez commented. “Crawford is among the sport`s elite, and I appreciate the opportunity to compete against fighters of his caliber. It is a pleasure for me.”
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) provided minimal commentary on Alvarez`s performance, simply stating, “He accomplished what was necessary to succeed, given the opponent he faced.”
Both Alvarez and Scull were cautioned for their lack of activity, yet this did little to prevent the fight from being exceptionally slow-paced by historical standards. Together, they threw a total of 445 punches, according to CompuBox data. This figure represents the lowest combined punch total recorded in any 12-round fight in CompuBox`s four-decade history. On average, each fighter landed an astonishingly low five punches per round.
CompuBox Punch Stats
| Punches | Alvarez | Scull |
|---|---|---|
| Total landed | 56 | 55 |
| Total thrown | 152 | 293 |
| Percent | 36.8% | 18.8% |
| Jabs landed | 8 | 27 |
| Jabs thrown | 63 | 220 |
| Percent | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| Power landed | 48 | 28 |
| Power thrown | 89 | 73 |
| Percent | 53.9% | 38.4% |
Despite the overall sluggishness, Alvarez`s offensive output was distinctly superior to Scull`s, particularly his focus on body shots with power punches. This win marks Alvarez`s sixth consecutive victory, all decided by the judges. His last knockout came in the 11th round against Caleb Plant in November 2021. Scull, entering Saturday as the IBF champion, experienced the inaugural loss of his professional career.