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Fatal Fury: Canelo v Scull Preview and Prediction
An undisputed super middleweight champion will be crowned when the legendary Saul “Canelo” Alvarez pits his WBC, WBA and WBO titles against William Scull’s IBF belt at the ANB Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time), writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
Canelo Alvarez (1.03) v William Scull (13.00) (Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship)
7 AM Sunday SA time
It’s a Cinco de Mayo weekend with a twist as Mexico’s biggest boxing star and the face of the sport takes his talents to Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The bout ushers in the next and perhaps final chapter of Canelo’s illustrious career as it is the first in his lucrative four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.
While Scull is undefeated, many feel this is merely a tune-up fight for Alvarez ahead of a planned super showdown against Terence Crawford in September.
A consummate professional, Canelo won’t overlook Scull and will instead look to make a statement. One of the all-time greats and the best of his generation, Canelo doesn’t just fight, he commands the ring. His presence inside the squared circle is second to none, making him an intimidating icon.
Holding a remarkable record of 62-2-2 with 39 knockouts, he’s the total package, a pugilist of the highest order who can do it all. He can outbox you, piece you up or put you down.
He’s a phenomenal counter striker as well as a potent pursuer. In recent times, he’s been on the front foot constantly and that should be his approach in this one, too, as Scull doesn’t have the power to deter him from marching forward.
Most recently, Canelo cruised past previously undefeated power puncher Edgar Berlanga last September to make it five wins on the trot since his decision defeat to current undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
Looking to shock the world, Scull holds a perfect record of 23-0 with nine knockouts. The relatively unknown Cuban captured the vacant IBF title with a points victory over Vladimir Shishkin last October and now has to leap up several levels to face Canelo.
Stylistically, “El Indomable” has a forward-moving, aggressive approach with good combinations and a solid uppercut but does leave himself open to counters.
He’s not a technical wizard like Bivol or a defensively sound genius like Floyd Mayweather, the only two men to beat Canelo, and with just a 39% knockout ratio, he doesn’t pose much of a finishing threat.
The 32-year-old has never fought anyone with the combination of skill, power, experience and legendary status as Canelo and his defence doesn’t look up to par to survive the Mexican megastar.
A unique factor one has to consider is the scheduling of this scrap. Both fighters will need to adjust given the bout will take place at 6 am local time, a scheduling choice designed to suit fans in Mexico and the U.S., who’ll get to watch the fight at their usual Saturday night slot.
All in all, this should once again be the Canelo show. The 34-year-old’s last knockout was against Caleb Plant in 2021, but his desire to make a statement and Scull’s defensive deficiencies have me calling him to finish the fight inside the distance.
Ultimately, Romero doesn’t have the skill, speed or chin to stand up to Garcia, who has a two-inch reach advantage to boot. Bank on Garcia to send the fans home happy.
Prediction: Canelo by knockout.
Best Bet: Canelo by KO/TKO/DQ at 1.53.
Alternative Bet: Under 10.5 rounds at 1.80.