
CANELO Alvarez defeated William Scull to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion for a second time, followed by an in-ring announcement of a future bout against Terence Crawford.
Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) won by unanimous decision in the early hours of Sunday (May 4, 2025) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The judges’ scores were 115-113, 116-112, and 119-109. Alvarez has a perfect 10-0 record in the super-middleweight division.
The victory over Scull was followed by Turki Alalshikh, head of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, bringing Crawford into the ring to face Alvarez.
Alalshikh proclaimed to the crowd, “Now we want to do the face off for the fight of the century, between the two great fighters in our generation.”
Alvarez, a four-weight world champion, entered the Scull fight with the WBA, WBC, and WBO super-middleweight titles. Crawford (41-0), also a four-weight champion, has held titles across lightweight to light middleweight.
Alvarez had previously been stripped of the IBF title for declining a mandatory defense against Scull.
The Scull fight was not considered a thrilling contest. Scull, who was previously undefeated, used a mobile style that Alvarez found frustrating.
Fighting outside the U.S. or Mexico for the first time, Alvarez had to adjust to the time zone.
The fight began cautiously, with the intensity increasing gradually. Scull threw more punches, but Alvarez landed the more effective blows, especially to the body. Alvarez landed slightly more punches (56-55) despite throwing far fewer than Scull (152-293).
Alvarez commented, “It’s OK, we won. We’re here with the title as the champion,” and dismissed any issues with the timing or fight quality.
Looking ahead to the Sept. 12 fight against Crawford, who will move up in weight, Alvarez said, “I feel great. Crawford is one of the best out there and, you know, I like to share the ring with that kind of fighter. It’s my pleasure.”
Crawford, who was in attendance, stated, “I’m feeling great. I’m feeling blessed. Things happen for a reason, and there’s a reason why I’m here. In September I’m showing the world what greatness look like.” / From the wires