What’s Next For Canelo Alvarez?

Canelo Alvarez defeated William Scull to become the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion for the second time, raising question marks over his next steps.

Canelo marked the first fight of his four bouts with the Saudis as he picked up Scull’s IBF Super Middleweight Belt. He was initially meant to face Scull last year, only to get stripped of his IBF belt after Alvarez chose to face Edgar Berlanga instead. The Scull victory sets up the Terence Crawford fight in September in one of the biggest bouts of the year.

That fight would see Canelo face a two-weight undisputed champion, who would be jumping up from 154 to face one of the best P4P fighters. Alvarez would be a favorite in that match-up, given he is a seasoned 168-pounder. Meanwhile, Crawford has boxed mostly between 135 and 147 pounds, having only had one fight at 154 before making this move to 168.

Canelo’s Future

Looking ahead, Canelo could also secure a fight in the UK. He has spoken about his desire to fight there before he walks away from the sport. Chris Eubank Jr. was a name mentioned after he had beaten Conor Benn last month in a thrilling bout. The Saudis have reportedly said they wanted the winner of Eubank vs. Benn to face off against Canelo. That fight has the potential to sell out any stadium in the UK since Canelo has a fanbase that can crossover, while Eubank is now one of the most popular fighters there. 

Equally, Canelo can also pursue that lucrative rematch with Dmitry Bivol. Bivol defeated Canelo in 2022 by a unanimous decision to retain his WBA Light Heavyweight Title. There were talks over a rematch, but it fell apart due to the difference in weight classes. Canelo reportedly wanted to have the rematch at 175 pounds, while Bivol wanted it at 168 since he was chasing Canelo’s Undisputed Super Middleweight Belt. Either way, Canelo has plenty of options moving forward.

Full Card

Canelo Alvarez beats William Scull via a unanimous decision: 115-113, 116-112, 119-109

Badou Jack beats Noel Mikaelian via majority decision: 114-114, 115-113×2

Jaime Munguia beats Bruno Surace via unanimous decision 116-112, 117-111×2

Richard Riakporhe beats Kevin Espindola via a fourth-round TKO

Marco Verde beats Michel Galvan Polina via a first-round TKO

Mohammed Alakel beats Alexander Morales via a unanimous decision

Efe Ajagba vs. Martin Bakole ends in majority draw: 96-94, 95-95×2

Brayan Leon beats Aaron Guerrero via a unanimous decision