Fans express their disappointment at the highly anticipated title fight featuring Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull!
At the second event of the Cinco De Mayo Boxing weekend, boxing fans expected fireworks. They got a snoozefest instead. The highly anticipated super middleweight title unification bout between Canelo Alvarez and William Scull left viewers yawning worldwide. Saudi Arabia’s ANB Arena in Riyadh hosted the event on May 3. Fans paid premium prices for what many now call “the most boring fight of 2025.”
Canelo has long been boxing’s golden boy. His exciting style made him a fan favorite. His battles with fighters like Golovkin, Mayweather, and Plant gave fans memorable moments. People expected similar drama against Scull. But sometimes expectations and reality don’t share the same destination. This fight proved that point all too well.
The Canelo-Scull bout perfectly illustrated why technical mastery doesn’t always translate to fan entertainment. From the opening bell, Canelo established his game plan, that is relentless forward pressure and body work. The Mexican champion methodically cut off the ring, forcing Scull to operate with his back against the ropes throughout most exchanges.
Scull’s approach proved frustratingly defensive. The IBF champion seemed content with survival rather than victory. He peppered Canelo with occasional jabs but refused to follow up with meaningful combinations. His lateral movement frustrated Canelo at times, but he never capitalized when creating distance.
The fight’s rhythm remained largely unchanged across all twelve rounds. Canelo stalked forward landing thudding body shots while Scull circled away, occasionally switching to southpaw stance without exploiting any advantages this might create. By round nine, the referee actively encouraged more engagement, clearly directing his comments toward Scull’s excessive movement.
Round ten offered Scull’s only bright spot, landing a check hook that momentarily disrupted Canelo’s momentum. Even when ahead by a massive margin entering the championship rounds, Canelo showed minimal urgency to finish impressively.
Multiple low blow complaints from Scull further disrupted any flow the fight might have developed. The judges’ scorecards (115-113, 116-112, 119-109) reflected Canelo’s dominance, though the closer cards seemed generous to Scull. This performance won’t enhance Canelo’s legacy. As one commentator put it, “Scull Touched Canelo More There Than He Did The Entire Fight.” Maybe he will look for redemption in the upcoming super-fight with Terence Crawford in September.
After this fight, Turki Alalshikh presented Canelo with the Ring belt. He further revealed that another Ring belt would be on the line for the fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford in September.
Fans at the arena started booing by round five. Some even left early, something almost unheard of at a Canelo fight. The judges ultimately awarded Alvarez a unanimous decision. Nobody questioned the winner. They just questioned why they stayed awake to watch it.
A parody account by the name of TotalKOMedia compared this fight to a UFC fight between Lacerda and Vergara, where Vergara just kept running away.
Another X user felt that this fight was a waste of time, calling it “a joke.”
A X user by the name of TheNassrZone urged William Scull to abandon boxing and start training for a 10,000 m race
A fan who watched the highly anticipated fight felt this was very disappointing, although he used some colorful language in his post.
The sport of boxing itself takes another hit with events like this. In an era where UFC and other combat sports compete for viewers, boxing can’t afford many nights like May 3rd. Promoters have already announced Canelo will return to the ring in September. After the Scull snoozefest, they better deliver. Boxing fans have good memories and limited patience. Even a star like Canelo might find that out the hard way.
(Image Credit: DAZN – X)
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