“Canelo” Álvarez regained the championship title

Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez regained his undisputed super middleweight title after defeating Cuban William Scull by unanimous decision at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a fight that fell short of the expectations of fans in attendance and viewers on television.

The judges' scorecards read 115-113, 119-109, and 116-112 in favor of the Mexican, who once again unified the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF belts, becoming the absolute champion of the category for the second time.

The Guadalajara native failed to knock out his opponent, despite imposing his influence throughout the 12 rounds. The Cuban boxer's strategy, centered on evasion, generated anger among those in attendance and on social media.

"Canelo" admitted that after the fight, William Scull apologized because he acknowledged that he didn't live up to expectations.

"He told me he was nervous and wanted to have a good fight. He said, 'Excuse me, champ.' I told him he's not going to win fights like that, running around and doing that kind of thing," Álvarez said.

The Cuban's attitude was criticized by various sectors, including former boxers and journalists. Julio César Chávez, present as a commentator, was one of the most forceful. "The commercials are better than the fight. If I were Turki, I'd knock him down... He's already run a marathon. He left the belt to 'Canelo,' he didn't win it in the ring," commented the former champion.

"Canelo," although dissatisfied with the performance, appreciated the crowd's support. "We're still champions," the Guadalajara native declared from the middle of the ring.

At the end of the fight, the Mexican found himself in the ring with American Terence Crawford, promoting a future confrontation in mid-September.

Criticism also came from the journalistic world. David Faitelson called "Canelo" "decadent" and believed that "the end (of his career) is near."— EL UNIVERSAL