On May 3 (May 4 Japan time), the main event of the “Riyadh Season” was held at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was a four-belt super middleweight world title unification bout between WBC, WBO & WBA (Super) World Champion Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez (Mexico) — 62 wins (39 KOs), 2 losses, 2 draws — and IBF World Champion William Scull (Cuba, based in Berlin, Germany) — undefeated in 23 bouts (9 KOs). Canelo won the fight by decision.
In the opening round, Canelo stood firm and applied pressure, carefully tracking the mobile Scull, who used his footwork to stay elusive. Canelo barely threw any punches. In round 2, Canelo landed a left hook and a right to the body. Near the end of the round, he unleashed a fast left-right combination to the body.
In round 3, Scull began with a one-two. Canelo pressed forward with heavy pressure and threw a powerful left hook. Both fighters threw very few punches. In round 4, as Scull moved and jabbed, Canelo responded by pressing in and landing heavy body shots.
In round 5, Scull landed a right uppercut off a jab. Canelo answered with a piercing right straight to the body. In round 6, Canelo connected with a strong left hook and a right straight to Scull’s body. Scull moved laterally and kept distance with his jab.
In round 7, Canelo relentlessly targeted Scull’s body. Scull kept moving side to side, throwing jabs and right straights, but they failed to land. In round 8, Scull stepped in with a right straight. Canelo chased the elusive Scull but struggled to trap him, and both fighters continued to throw very few punches.
In round 9, the referee urged both fighters to engage right after the start. Canelo landed a left to the body, but Scull kept moving, circling the ring. In round 10, Scull continued to step around, occasionally throwing jabs and right straights. Canelo threw a few strong body shots, but overall, there were very few exchanges. At the end of the round, Canelo tilted his head in frustration.
Round 11 followed the same pattern. Scull stayed on the move, and his jabs and right straights failed to connect. Canelo, chasing him down, landed only a handful of body shots. In the final round, Canelo continued to target the body, while Scull responded with quick combinations. However, the two fighters never fully engaged, and the bout ended without a definitive clash.
The official scores were: Danrex Tapdasan (Philippines) 119-109, Ron McNair (USA) 116-112, and Pablo Gonzalez (Spain) 115-113 — all in favor of Canelo. Immediately after the fight, Terence Crawford (USA) entered the ring, and it was confirmed that he would be Canelo’s next opponent.
The fight between Terence Crawford (USA) and Canelo is something to really look forward to!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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