Rick Glaser put it succinctly: “Canelo fought another Jermell Charlo type in William Scull—a guy who didn’t come to win, just to survive.” With the mega-showdown against Terence Crawford now officially announced, Canelo Alvarez heads into the bout as the undisputed super middleweight champion. At The Venue Riyadh Season, he secured a unanimous decision victory over William Scull.
However, the headliner that followed the Jaime Munguia vs. Bruno Surace rematch and Badou Jack‘s first title defense, drew harsh criticism from both fans and pundits. The reason? Many felt it was dull, uneventful, and lacked the energy expected from such high-stakes matchups. Scull spent most of the fight circling the ring, avoiding direct exchanges, while Canelo attempted to cut off the ring and corner his elusive opponent. The result was an uninspired affair that fell short of expectations. Much of the criticism targeted the Cuban-born Scull, who was seen as overly defensive. But not everyone let Canelo off the hook. Some argued that the Mexican superstar should also be held accountable for the underwhelming contest. Claressa Shields, for one, seemed to echo Glaser’s sentiment: “The paying fans deserved a lot better.”
“It’s both fighters’ fault!” the two-time Olympic gold medalist stated emphatically. Referring to the strategic method of limiting an opponent’s movement, she added: “When you’re against a mover/runner—cut the ring off!” Clearly frustrated, the multi-division champion questioned why fighters often forget the essence of the sport: “This is the hurt business.”
It’s both fighters fault! When you against a mover/ runner cut the ring off ! And idk why these guys are forgetting this is the hurt business! Same shit yesterday smh
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) May 4, 2025
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