Nov 6, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Canelo Alvarez after defeating Caleb Plant (not pictured) in their undisputed super middleweight world championship boxing match at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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Canelo Alvarez Gets New Opponent And It’s Neither Jake Paul, Nor Terence Crawford!

Forget Jake Paul and Terence Crawford, it's time for fresh competition as Canelo Alvarez steps up against a new challenger!

The boxing world has always been full of unexpected twists, and Canelo Alvarez’s career perfectly shows this. The Mexican superstar has faced everyone from Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Gennady Golovkin, building a legacy that spans nearly two decades. His rise from a teenage prodigy who turned pro at 15 to becoming one of boxing’s biggest stars is quite remarkable.

Back in 2011, few could have predicted that the red-headed kid from Guadalajara would become boxing’s biggest pay-per-view draw, but here we are. Through ups and downs, including that tough loss to Mayweather in 2013 and the controversial draws with GGG, Canelo has remained at the top of the sport.

Also Read: UFC 236 Slugfest Gets Inducted In 2025 UFC Hall Of Fame Class

Canelo Alvarez’s Next Opponent

The latest chapter in Alvarez’s story brings fans to an interesting development. After weeks of speculation about a potential showdown with social media star Jake Paul, Canelo Alvarez has taken a different path. He’s now set to face William Scull on May 3 in Saudi Arabia, which marks another big fight heading to the Middle East’s new boxing capital.

‼️ ANNOUNCED: Canelo Alvarez will face William Scull for the undisputed Ring, WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO super-middleweight world titles on May 3rd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is the first of Canelo's four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season. pic.twitter.com/Q52jV2WUqK
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) February 8, 2025

Scull might not be a household name to casual fans, but his perfect 23-0 record with nine knockouts makes him a serious challenger. The IBF super middleweight champion earned his belt by beating Vladimir Shishkin last October, and now he is getting his shot at greatness. This fight gives Canelo Alvarez a chance to become undisputed champion again, adding Scull’s IBF title to his WBC, WBA, and WBO belts.

The timing is perfect too. Alvarez has been on a roll lately, winning his last five fights, including a solid win over Edgar Berlanga. This upcoming bout is part of a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, showing how Saudi Arabia continues to reshape the boxing landscape.

Backstory For The William Scull Fight

This whole situation started brewing back in January, when Canelo’s team first reached out to Scull’s camp. While everyone was busy talking about the Jake Paul or Terence Crawford possibility, the real plan was taking shape behind the scenes. That is just how boxing works sometimes, the fights fans think they are getting aren’t always the ones that end up happening.

Canelo Alvarez seems more interested in chasing history and collecting belts than engaging in novelty matchups, which makes sense given his competitive nature. Saudi Arabia’s involvement in boxing has changed the game completely, something fans saw with the recent Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight . Now, with Canelo Alvarez joining the party, it looks like Riyadh is becoming boxing’s new go-to destination for super fights.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Canelo Alvarez

Jake Paul

Terence Crawford

William Scull

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!