Canelo Alvarez has no choice but to fight his IBF mandatory challenger or lose the status he holds in high regard.
Mexico’s first undisputed champion must face IBF number one contender William Scull by the fall of 2024. If he doesn’t, Canelo will be stripped of the championship and lose his coveted four-belt status.
With a September event in Las Vegas already locked in for September 14, it’s unlikely that the unheralded Scull will have enough significance to fill the spot opposite Canelo. The T-Mobile Arena, a 20,000 venue secured for higher profile bouts like the previous Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo events, doesn’t fit well for Canelo vs Scull. This scenario could lead to Canelo delaying his last fight with Premier Boxing Champions, heading back home for the Scull defense, or scrapping any plans to face the undefeated Cuban altogether.
The upsides to facing Scull include keeping his undisputed titles and leaving enough time for a battle with Terence Crawford in December. Currently, Crawford is fighting on August 3, with Canelo’s usual date close enough for both to have interim bouts before facing each other.
Canelo may also have been prepping for the possibility of battling Scull as the 22-0 challenger featured on his undercard in Las Vegas earlier this month. After winning an eight-round warm-up, promoting Scull to the main event in boxing’s capital seems a reach at best.
The only certainty is that Canelo has to begin negotiations with Scull by June 6 or ask for an exception to delay the defense. However, with Crawford out of contention due to his fight with Israil Madrimov, Canelo may see September as the ideal time to get his mandatory out of the way.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
