Canelo Alvarez achieved the necessary outcome, even if his performance was far from spectacular.
On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Alvarez stepped into the ring against IBF champion William Scull in a unification bout for the undisputed super middleweight title. This contest was a crucial step in paving the way for a highly anticipated superfight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford. While the fight against Scull lacked excitement, Alvarez successfully secured a clear decision victory to unify all the major championships.
Fans hoping to see a classic Canelo performance were left disappointed. Scull did well to neutralize Alvarez`s renowned power-punching. Alvarez, in turn, was content to grind out rounds by applying forward pressure and focusing on body work. Scull made no significant adjustments throughout the fight, leading to a rather lifeless decision outcome with judges` scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 119-109.
Regardless of how the victory was obtained, the key result was achieved. Immediately following the fight, Turki Alalshikh introduced former undisputed light welterweight and welterweight champion `Bud` Crawford, confirming that the long-rumored bout between Alvarez and Crawford is officially scheduled for September 12th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Alalshikh further announced that this card will mark the debut event for UFC CEO Dana White`s new boxing promotion, TKO Boxing.
Crawford will be moving up two weight classes from 154 pounds to challenge Canelo at 168 pounds. His most recent fight was in August, where he earned a unanimous decision win over Israil Madrimov to claim the WBA light middleweight title.
Marcus Blakely