Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—On May 3, 2025, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez trudged through a unanimous decision victory over William Scull, reclaiming the undisputed super middleweight crown in a fight that left fans yawning and statisticians scratching their heads. The 12-round bout at ANB Arena was a plodding affair, with Alvarez securing scorecards of 115-113, 116-112, and a baffling 119-109 to unify the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF 168-pound titles. Now, the Mexican star sets his sights on a September 12 showdown with pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford in Las Vegas.
The fight was no barnburner. Alvarez, a -3500 favorite, spent most of the night chasing a slippery Scull, who seemed more interested in survival than slugging. The Cuban, now 23-1 with 9 KOs, darted around the ring, flicking jabs and landing a few crisp right hands, including a sharp uppercut in the fifth. But his output was meager, and Alvarez’s steady pressure—punctuated by thudding body shots and the occasional left hook—proved enough for the judges. By the ninth, the referee was begging both fighters to pick up the pace, and the crowd’s restlessness echoed through the arena.
Statistically, it was a low point. The pair combined for just 445 punches thrown over 36 minutes, the fewest in a 12-round fight ever recorded by CompuBox in its 40-year history. Alvarez, now 63-2-2 with 39 KOs, landed a modest 152 shots, while Scull mustered 293, most of them glancing or outright ignored by the champ. Post-fight, Alvarez griped about Scull’s evasive style, admitting he loathed boxing movers who won’t stand and trade.
The real buzz came after the final bell. Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi powerbroker behind the event, climbed into the ring to confirm Alvarez’s next fight: a blockbuster against Crawford at Allegiant Stadium. Crawford, fresh off dominating super welterweight, will jump to 168 pounds for the chance to dethrone Canelo. It’s the biggest fight boxing can muster right now, pitting two generational talents against each other in a clash that’s been whispered about for years.
Alvarez’s road to undisputed wasn’t without hiccups. He’d held all four belts before but lost the IBF strap after opting to face Edgar Berlanga last year instead of mandatory challenger Scull. The Cuban earned the vacant title, setting up this mandatory defense. Now, with the belts back in his grasp, Alvarez faces a far sterner test in Crawford, who’s never lost and brings a chessmaster’s precision to the ring.
The Riyadh crowd, dotted with stars like Anthony Joshua, left underwhelmed. The fight lacked the fireworks of Canelo’s past wars, and Scull’s defensive gambit didn’t win hearts or scorecards. Still, the stage is set for a Vegas spectacle that could redefine both fighters’ legacies.