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Canelo Alvarez has officially booked his first fight under the Riyadh Season banner, as he is set to face undefeated IBF super middleweight champion William Scull in a title unification bout on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh made the announcement. Alalshikh recently signed Alvarez (62-2-2) to a lucrative four-fight deal. The goal of this partnership is to set up a future showdown with pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford while also ensuring Alvarez steers clear of rumored fights with social media star-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
According to Alalshikh, the Alvarez vs. Scull bout will see the Mexican superstar put his WBA, WBC, and WBO titles on the line, while Scull (23-0) will defend his IBF belt.
Should Alvarez emerge victorious, he is expected to face Crawford in a blockbuster fight later this year, though the exact date has yet to be confirmed.
This announcement comes after a chaotic news cycle surrounding Alvarez’s next move. ESPN initially reported that Alvarez was close to finalizing a fight with Paul, but Alalshikh quickly dismissed the claims, revealing that the four-division champion had signed an exclusive deal with Riyadh Season.
The agreement outlines a plan for Alvarez to compete on Cinco de Mayo weekend, take on Crawford in September, and then complete his contract with two fights in 2026.
Unsurprisingly, Paul didn’t stay silent. After Alvarez released a video stating he had no intention of fighting a “f*cking YouTuber,” Paul responded with what he claimed was a signed bout agreement from Alvarez. The influencer-turned-boxer accused the Mexican icon of dodging him and argued that their potential fight would be the biggest money-maker Alvarez could secure.
Meanwhile, Scull finally gets his long-awaited shot at Alvarez after being named the IBF mandatory challenger in early 2024. When Alvarez initially declined to defend the IBF title, Scull claimed the vacant belt with a hard-fought 12-round decision win over Vladimir Shishkin.
Now, he’ll look to shock the world by dethroning the undisputed king of the super middleweight division.