Canelo Alvarez started off in a calm mood today at the final press conference for his undisputed 168-lb championship fight against William Scull, but seemed to lose his temper when reminded of his struggle in the past against Cuban fighter Erislandy Lara.
Canelo’s Temper
Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) looked angry, telling the moderator that he’s a different fighter now than the one who fought Lara. Many boxing fans believed Canelo was given a decision against Lara. He made himself look bad by not clearing up the controversy by giving Lara a rematch, which confirmed in the minds of fans that he knew the Cuban had beaten him.
Scull isn’t on the level of Lara in terms of skills, but he has more than enough to take advantage of Canelo’s age and his deteriorating ability. The real question is whether the judges will give Scull the same treatment that they gave Lara in 2014. You can’t rule that out. The Canelo vs. Terence Crawford fight in October could be tainted if Alvarez comes in under a dark cloud of controversy.
Eddy Reynoso: “He’s 34 but he’s in better shape than some fighters that are 20,” said trainer Eddy Reynoso during today’s final press conference, talking about Canelo Alvarez being younger than his chronological age going into his undisputed super middleweight championship fight against IBF champ William Scull on Saturday night in Riyadh.
“He’s an example inside and out of it. So, when you ask me why he’s at the top of his game, it’s the discipline that he shows. What we need to do on Saturday is impose the Mexican school on Scull. William Scull is a great fighter, and he comes from a great Cuban boxing school. We’re coming to win on Saturday. It will be a step up following this fight for Canelo Alvarez,” said Reynoso, talking about Terence Crawford.
Reynoso can’t be taken seriously, saying that Canelo is in better shape now than fighters in their 20s. His cardio is poor compared to even older fighters. At this stage in Alvarez’s career, he’s only capable of fighting hard for three to four rounds. He’s fighting on fumes from the fifth round on, and he’s only winning now because he stopped fighting quality opposition after his loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
Belief in the “Yes, You Can”
William Scull: “I really don’t care what people say. I’m going into this fight to show, ‘Yes, you can.”
Canelo Alvarez: “I expect it to be a little bit difficult in the beginning, but I’m a different Canelo now [from the one that fought Cuban Erislandy Lara in 2014], and he’s going to feel it on Saturday. He says he’s going to eat me, but the only thing he’s going to eat is this [holds up right first].
Last Updated on 05/01/2025
Read the full article here
