RIYADH: Mexican boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez unified the super middleweight titles with a unanimous points decision over IBF champion William Scull in Riyadh early Sunday.

Alvarez, 34, improved his record to 63-2-2 with 39 knockouts after doing enough to get the win in the high-stakes clash, as he continued his tradition of fighting during the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

The Cuban super middleweight entered the unification title fight with a 23-0 record as a heavy underdog, with the betting lines favouring Canelo across the board.

Victory sets up a much anticipated bout between Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which is slated now for Sept 12 in Las Vegas.

Scull largely stayed on the outside for most of the fight, relying on his advantage in height and reach along with footwork and speed to try keep Alvarez at bay.

But Canelo was able to land hefty body shots throughout the fight, as he stalked Scull, cutting off the ring and cornering his opponent where he would fire off a flurry of hooks.

“He moved even more than I thought. But, it’s ok, we win,” said Canelo in the post-fight interview.

Canelo entered the fight after coming off a lop-sided unanimous decision over Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas last year.

Ahead of that bout, Alvarez was stripped of his International Boxing Federation belt when he agreed to fight Berlanga over Scull — the IBF’s mandatory challenger.

This weekend’s contest marked the first time Canelo has fought outside of North America during his nearly 20-year professional career.

The boxers entered the ring in Riyadh to coincide with Saturday evening festivities over the Cinco de Mayo weekend back in North America.

With the contest flying under the radar for casual fans, many saw the bout as a tune-up fight for the showdown between Alvarez and Crawford later this year.

Following the win, Crawford entered the ring, where the fight date was set.

On the undercard, Jaime Munguia avenged his knockout loss to super middleweight Bruno Surace last year, after keeping the Frenchman against the ropes for much of the rematch and landing rapid combinations, earning him a unanimous decision.

In recent years, the kingdom has been pouring money into boxing events as part of Saudi Arabia’s oil-funded thrust into the sporting world, which has drawn accusations of “sportswashing” its dubious human rights record.

Along with Formula One, the LIV Golf tour and attracting several ageing football stars to its domestic league, Riyadh’s strategy cemented its crowning moment last year after Saudi Arabia was named as the host of football’s 2034 World Cup.

Alvarez signed a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Seasons promotion in February, the latest in a growing list of boxers to flock to the kingdom for mega paydays.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2025