IBF Ordering of Canelo vs Scull Puts the Champ in a Conundrum
In one of the bigger twists in the sport, the IBF has ordered undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (61–2-2, 39 KO’s) to face mandatory challenger William “El Indomable” Scull (22-0, 9 KO’s). For most American boxing fans, casual and hardcore alike, this was tantamount to pitting Canelo against the first face snatched off of a milk carton.
To date, Scull has only staged one untelevised prizefight in the US. Every other contest was held on the opposite side of an ocean or national border line. This new order places Canelo in an odd position. First and foremost, it will call into question how important it is to him to maintain the distinction of undisputed.
After all, there are matches to be made with the likes of Terence Crawford, David Benavidez or a rematch with Dmitry Bivol. Lining up shoulder to shoulder with these names makes selling Scull tough as pushing E-40 albums at a Trump Rally.
RELUCTANT PEOPLE’S CHAMPION
Dancing with Scull also stands to make Canelo look like a hypocrite. This is because it would be hard to profess the sanctity of honoring mandatories and the title while at the same time avoiding Benavidez. A two-time 168-pound champion and current WBC interim champion, David Benavidez has chased a fight with Canelo for years. Coupled with his pursuit, the fans have clamored to see this clash with vigor. In response, Canelo has only shown disinterest and demanded an outrageous amount of money.
The IBF order also casts a negative light on the WBC, who failed to order their own mandatory fight versus the aforementioned David Benavidez. Benavidez has maintained his mandatory status for closer to three years while Scull has maintained his for just under two years. So why has the WBC allowed for so much time to elapse without demanding the fight the whole boxing world wants to see?
With this curveball however, we certainly are going to get some lively news and transactions from Team Canelo in the very near future. Will he maintain all four belts by facing Scull? Will Scull accept step aside money? And if Alvarez chooses not to fight Scull, nor Benavidez, will the rumored Edgar Berlanga or some other mystery opponent get the nod? Again, no matter what he does, Canelo will have big announcements coming soon!
