Canelo Grinds Out Uninspiring Win Over Elusive William Scull in Saudi Arabia; Canelo-Crawford Up Next
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 May 2025
What was supposed to be a showcase for Canelo Álvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) turned into a frustrating chess match as the Mexican superstar labored to a unanimous decision win over Cuba’s William Scull (23-1, 9 KOs) in a snooze-inducing affair early Sunday morning at Kingdom Arena.
The judges scored the bout 119-109 (Danrex Tapdasan), 116-112 (Ron McNair), and 115-113 (Pablo Gonzalez)—all in favor of Canelo, who retained his undisputed super middleweight crown for the second time. But the real story was Scull’s relentless movement, which turned the fight into a glorified game of tag rather than a high-stakes championship bout.
From the opening bell, Scull refused to engage, opting instead for a stick-and-move strategy that left Canelo swinging at air. The Cuban circled endlessly, flicking occasional jabs while backpedaling at the first sign of pressure.
Round after round, the pattern repeated: Canelo stalked, Scull sprinted. The Mexican’s frustration grew as he struggled to cut off the ring, while Scull’s hit-and-not-get-hit approach drew scattered boos from the Riyadh crowd.
Canelo gets solid gold Ring Belt after his win over Scull.
By the ninth round, referee Kieran McCann had seen enough, briefly halting the action to demand more engagement—particularly from Scull. The Cuban obliged for all of 10 seconds, standing his ground just long enough to land a quick combo before resuming his marathon session.
The final round saw Canelo desperately charging forward, but Scull’s elusiveness held firm, leaving the champion to settle for a workmanlike victory rather than the statement win he desired.
The punch stats were surprisingly close, with Canelo landing 56 total punches to Scull’s 55. However, the body attack told the real story—Canelo’s 40 body shots dwarfed Scull’s meager 6, proving the difference in a fight devoid of fireworks.
Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford pose with Saudi's Turki Alalshik to green light their September 12 megafight at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The only bright spot? This fight is over. With the Scull hurdle cleared, the path is now clear for the September 12 superfight between Canelo and Terence "Bud" Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas—a clash that promises real action on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wasted no time, immediately staging a face-off between Canelo and Crawford to ignite hype for what could be the biggest boxing event of the decade.
Fans and pundits will quickly erase the memory of this forgettable Canelo-Scull bout. But one thing is certain: September 12 can’t come soon enough.
Can Canelo handle Crawford’s precision and power? Or will "Bud" cement his legacy as multi-division king?
One thing’s for sure—it won’t be another running match.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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