Canelo Alvarez avoided William Scull in the past.
He didn't duck him, it appears. He just gave up the IBF Super Middleweight Title to defend his WBA, WBO and WBC titles against Edgar Berlanga last September in a much bigger money fight than the then IBF Interim Champion Scull would've been.
Scull was promoted to full champion and has now come full circle, getting the Canelo payday after all, and he's Alvarez's most anonymous opponent since Avni Yildirim.
Let's hope Scull is much better for the sake of competition, especially after that Times Square dud on Friday night.
Read on for our Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull prediction and picks for their boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, May 3.
Alvarez vs Scull Breakdown, Preview
Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) will unify all the titles in the 168-pound class with Scull (23-0, 9 KOs).
Scull is Cuban, and Cuban boxers tend to be skillful, tricky, defensively stout, and very quick.
Scull is not that.
Scull is a counter-puncher. He also isn't swift, nor does he possess a lot of power, nor is he defensively elite. However, he's defensively not projected to be as hittable as Jaime Munguia or Berlanga.
This will be the test.
This will be the test to see if Canelo is truly past his prime. I think he is, but he's still so much better than everyone at 168 that it doesn't matter.
Alvarez hasn't gotten a knockout since 2021. He will soon be 35 and is in his 20th year of professional boxing, not to mention he is entering pro fight No. 67.
Scull is 32 and turned pro in 2016 — Cubans historically fight in the amateurs for longer and turn pro later than others, though he was still in his early 20s.
Canelo is better at almost everything, but as Rolly Romero reminded us in his upset against -1100 favorite Ryan Garcia on Friday, anything can happen in this silly sport.
Alvarez vs Scull Prediction, Pick
There's a growing buzz regarding whether or not Alvarez will score a knockout for the first time since 2021.
But Scull doesn't possess the highest output.
I said in a video we posted on Action Network that I like Canelo by decision at +180 on FanDuel.
Still, upon further review, there's another bet I like more on the board that I think is better comparatively than method of victory, and that's Scull to be knocked down in any of Rounds 1-6 at the same book at +175.
Canelo didn't stop Berlanga but dropped him in Round 4. The same goes for Munguia in Round 3, Jermell Charlo in Round 7, and John Ryder in Round 5.
He tends to drop his man early, and I like that to continue, rather than sweating out the method of victory.
Still, I lean toward the decision result based on recent history, trends, and Scull's preference to fight on the outside, as he likely will (and should) against the shorter Alvarez.
Scull is 5-foot-11, Alvarez is hardly 5-foot-8, and while Canelo has broken down plenty of taller opponents, he hasn't put them away as of late.
Enjoy the fight, and don't go broke!
Pick: Canelo Alvarez to Win by Decision (+180, FanDuel) | Scull to Be Knocked Down in Rounds 1–6 (+175, FanDuel)
