HEARING murmurs of discontent in the crowd is not something Canelo Alvarez has experienced in a while. The Mexican took back his status as undisputed super-middleweight champion following a unanimous decision victory over William Scull, in a bout low on activity and energy.
Fans will be hoping for more action when Canelo meets Terence Crawford in their proposed September 12 Las Vegas meeting. The pair faced off for the first time as Canelo engages in another bout riddled with novelty factor.
Negative Cuban Scull worked up quite the appetite with his own brand of box and move for 12 rounds, winning numerous rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards. Due to the warped time zones, Canelo was looking forward to sitting down and breaking bread in the growing heat of an early Saudi Arabian morning.
He also explained in Spanish that it takes two to make a fight, alluding to Scull’s marathon tactics. This is true, but Canelo’s low output style and meagre punches thrown did not help the spectacle. Was the economic approach an effort in energy preservation to avoid late fight gas tank issues?
After the dust settled and Canelo regained his blood sugars with a hearty breakfast, there was much to be digested. ‘Bud’ Crawford is next in line to try and derail the Mexican train.
While he won’t be as safety-first as Scull, the Nebraskan will box with caution, bulked out by an inflated frame, as he seeks to make even more history and become undisputed champion in yet another weight class.
The current version of Canelo is extremely risk-averse. The feet get him into position to land the harder, more impactful shots, but nowhere near enough of them. Scull will also surely realise that he left the ring in his biggest career opportunity without letting it all hang out and going for broke.
