Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull Preview: Start Time, Fight Card, How To Watch & Live Stream

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will soon make his bid to become a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion.

To accomplish that feat and add to his already outstanding legacy, he must go through the largely unknown and unheralded William Scull on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) enters the bout with the WBA, WBC and WBO titles, while Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) holds the IBF belt.

Canelo was the undisputed champion from Nov. 6, 2021, to Oct. 19. Scull was named the mandatory challenger by the IBF, but rather than face Scull, Canelo opted to vacate the belt. Scull won the IBF title with a unanimous decision victory over Vladimir Shishkin in Germany on Oct. 19.

Canelo has won five-straight fights since his decision loss to undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on May 7, 2022. In his last fight, Canelo defeated a game Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision on Sept. 14. Alvarez is undefeated in his 10 fights at super middleweight.

Canelo Alvarez and William Scull face-off ahead of their undisputed super-middleweight world title fight in Riyadh on Saturday 🏆

Watch #CaneloScull this Saturday live on DAZN PPV powered by @FATALFURY_PR City of The Wolves | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/71H0zg0vtx
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 1, 2025

Here are the keys to victory for both fighters heading into their clash for the undisputed super middleweight title.

Keys to Victory

Canelo Alvarez

Canelo is the heavy favorite reason.

Scull hasn't sniffed the level of competition Canelo has been facing since the early 2010s when he was a junior middleweight. Even if Canelo has shown signs of slowing down after 66 fights as a pro, we haven't seen anything from Scull to show he's ready for this level of competition.

Canelo Alvarez seeks to reclaim the undisputed crown on Saturday night in Riyadh 😤

Watch #CaneloScull this Saturday live on DAZN PPV powered by @FATALFURY_PR City of The Wolves | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/27XprMrpWu
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 1, 2025

Canelo's ability to be efficient with his offense and land power shots turned him into one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He shouldn't stray far from that formula on Saturday night. If he can time up Scull's offense, make him miss and make him pay with big counter shots to the head and body, it'll turn the tide in Canelo's favor.

It'll also be in Canelo's best interest to get off to a fast start. If Scull clearly wins the opening rounds, it'll do wonders for his confidence and Canelo could find himself in a much tougher fight than expected. But if he can set the tone early and land some big shots, it can deter Scull and likely give Canelo the upper hand as he looks to become a two-time undisputed champion.

Canelo says William Scull will feel something DIFFERENT come Saturday 🔥

🎟️ Buy fight bundle on DAZN NOW - link in bio#GarciaRomero | #CaneloScull via #RiyadhSeason | May 2 & 3 | Powered by @FATALFURY_PR City of the Wolves | @SNKPofficial | @RingMagazine pic.twitter.com/2hioVNoTGq
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 1, 2025

William Scull

Scull will have to show a side of his game he has yet to show as a pro if he's going to have a chance against Canelo.

He isn't without any advantages, though. Scull is the physically bigger fighter, as he holds a clear height and reach advantage. He'll need to use both throughout the fight if he's going to pull off one of the biggest upsets in recent history.

The IBF Super Middleweight Champion William Scull is FIGHT READY!! 🇨🇺

🎟️ Buy fight bundle on DAZN NOW - link in bio#GarciaRomero | #CaneloScull via #RiyadhSeason | May 2 & 3 | Powered by @FATALFURY_PR City of the Wolves | @SNKPofficial | @RingMagazine pic.twitter.com/ISZNJcVyfx
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 30, 2025

Canelo has struggled against bigger and stronger opponents like Gennadiy Golovkin and Bivol when they used their jab and overwhelmed him with volume. Scull will have to follow a similar gameplan if he's going to become the undisputed champion

There's no way to sugarcoat Scull's chances. He's a significant underdog with good reason, but if he's better than what he's shown and Canelo continues to slow down, maybe the stars will align for Scull.