Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez beat William Scull in a boring super-middleweight unification fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The judges scored it unanimously for the Mexican star.
The fight lacked action and excitement. Canelo landed just 56 punches while Scull connected with 55, according to CompuBox stats. The eighth round saw some life when Canelo landed body shots and a solid left hook, but that was about it.
Judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, and a wide 119-109, all for Canelo. This marked his sixth straight win by unanimous decision.
Scull, who picked up the vacant IBF title by beating Vladimir Shishkin, didn't seem impressed by Canelo's power. After the fight, he said:
"No, I honestly didn't feel any significant punches. We just kept executing our strategy, the plan for this fight. We didn't need to change anything because I didn't feel that he was hurting me at all."
The fight had an interesting backstory. Canelo had previously refused to face Scull when he was the IBF mandatory challenger. He even dropped the IBF belt, which Scull then won. Canelo only got interested in the fight when it gave him a chance to win back his old belt.
During the bout, Scull refused to engage. He focused on staying out of range and avoiding danger. This strategy led to an extremely underwhelming fight with few standout moments.
For Canelo, this victory makes him a two-time undisputed super-middleweight champion. He's now fought 67 times as a pro, with 39 knockouts.
The Mexican star won't have much time to rest. He's set to face fellow pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford on September 12 in Las Vegas.
