Canelo vs. Scull – a super middleweight title unification could take place in May 2025. Talks are underway and the boxing world is waiting with bated breath.
Canelo Álvarez is planning his next big challenge. The Mexican super middleweight superstar wants to step into the ring against AGON boxer William Scull in Las Vegas in May 2025. This duel would be an opportunity for Canelo to regain his status as undisputed champion. He was stripped of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title in 2024.
Scull confirms talks for Canelo vs. Scull
William Scull, current IBF super middleweight champion, has confirmed negotiations with the Canelo team. In an interview with “Puños Cubanos”, he said: “We want to unify with Canelo Álvarez.” The Cuban, who won his title in October 2024 against Vladimir Shishkin, sees this fight as a chance to make history. Both parties have since confirmed that they will meet on January 10, 2025, possibly for final talks.
What speaks for Canelo vs. Scull?
Canelo Álvarez remains the dominant name in the super middleweight division. He leads the rankings with titles from the WBA, WBC and WBO. But the IBF title, which he had to relinquish in 2024, is the key to becoming undisputed champion again. William Scull, on the other hand, is unbeaten (23-0) and has established himself as a serious challenger.
Further competitors under discussion
In addition to Scull, other names have been floated as possible opponents for Canelo. There is also speculation about Terence Crawford, Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez as possible opponents. All three would undoubtedly be exciting options. But there are also hurdles in the way of all of them that would make a fight with Canelo complicated. For the half-middleweight Crawford it is the weight difference, Bivol will first fight a rematch against Artur Beterbiev on February 22, so a fight in May against Canelo would probably be too early. And Benavidez does not appear to be at the top of Canelo’s list of priorities. The duel has already been called for several times, but never materialized. This puts Canelo vs. Scull more in the spotlight, as Canelo would have the chance to become the undisputed super middleweight champion once again.
Weighing up opportunity and risk
For AGON boxer William Scull, the unification fight against Canelo Alvarez would be the provisional crowning glory of a steep rise. It would be a chance to assert himself on the international stage. The door for a title unification does not open often in a boxer’s career. The sporting ambition should be to seize the opportunity and go through it. This is how AGON 2023 handled middleweight Vincenzo Gualtieri. Just three months after winning the IBF middleweight title, he went into a unification fight against Janibek Alimkhanuly – and lost.
This fate could be repeated in the Canelo vs. Scull duel, leaving AGON without a world champion again. Especially as a duel against Simon Zachenhuber, number 8 in the IBF rankings, would also be of great interest to boxing fans in Germany. January 10, 2025 could be decisive: That is when talks between the two teams are due to continue. It remains exciting for the boxing world to see whether the Canelo vs Scull fight will actually become a reality.
Text: Andreas Ohlberger