Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has put pen to paper on a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. The Mexican superstar will kick off his Saudi Arabia stint on May 3 against IBF Super-Middleweight World Champion William Scull.
Canelo held the IBF belt along with three others until mid-last year. He lost the title when he refused to face Scull in a mandatory defense. The Cuban fighter, who's based in Germany, went on to win the vacant strap by defeating Vladimir Shishkin.
For Canelo, this fight marks a chance to become a two-time undisputed champion. If he manages to beat Scull, he'll likely face Terence Crawford in September.
While Canelo sets his sights on reclaiming his title, David Benavidez has moved up to light-heavyweight. Many fans feel Canelo should face Benavidez before he retires. Benavidez himself has some thoughts on Canelo's recent choices.
"He's kind of just milking it," Benavidez said in an interview. "That's a tough opponent," he added, referring to the potential Crawford fight. But when it comes to Scull, Benavidez didn't hold back: "William Scull? Come on."
Benavidez went on to question Canelo's fans: "You really want to pay that much money for William Scull? I've only heard Scull's name once or twice. I mean no disrespect to him … Canelo's taking his own route. He's entitled to do whatever he wants to do."
After beating David Morrell, Benavidez has put himself in a prime position. He could face the winner of the undisputed rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
As for Canelo, he'll step into the ring on May 3, aiming to reclaim his IBF title and set up bigger fights down the line.
