Canelo Alvarez Faces Criticism Ahead of May Showdown with William Scull

RÍO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL — Canelo Álvarez is under fire as he prepares to face William Scull on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Critics, including boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya, have vocally condemned Álvarez’s decision to sign a lucrative agreement with Riyadh Season, accusing him of prioritizing financial gain over the sport’s integrity.

De la Hoya expressed his disdain during a recent episode of his podcast, referring to Álvarez as the creator of the ‘divas era’ in boxing. He stated, “You, by yourself, have created the era of the divas in boxing. Other fighters see you as an example, and it’s your fault. This is the most money-hungry era in the sport’s history.”

Moreover, de la Hoya criticized Álvarez for sidelining a potential fight against David Benavidez to face Scull, who holds the IBF super middleweight title. “Instead of fighting David Benavidez on the weekend of May 5, which is clearly the right move after his recent victory against Morrell, you’re opting for William Scull,” he remarked.

Álvarez has garnered attention for previously stating that he would not fight Benavidez due to personal grievances, labeling the fellow fighter as “rude.” De la Hoya countered this reasoning saying, “What the heck? You’re supposed to create rivalries and excitement for the fans, but you avoid the fight due to personal issues? Canelo, get it together!”

In addition to facing Scull, Álvarez’s new promoter Turki Alalshikh has taken to social media to gauge fan interest in future opponents. Alalshikh floated four names for potential opponents after Scull: Terence Crawford, David Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, and Hamzah Sheeraz.

Feedback has shown growing interest in a match against Benavidez, highlighting boxing fans’ desire for that showdown, while Crawford ranked second in popularity according to Alalshikh’s survey.

Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev, the undisputed champion at 175 pounds, has made it clear he is not interested in facing Álvarez, emphasizing that the Mexican fighter does not belong in his weight division currently. “When I was a champion in my category, I wanted to fight him. Now, he doesn’t have anything in my category,” Beterbiev stated.

As the boxing world awaits Álvarez’s next steps, he remains focused on his upcoming bout with Scull. A victory would position him for a potential unification bout with either Beterbiev or Benavidez later this year, marking a pivotal moment in his career.