The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has ordered Saúl Canelo Álvarez to face the mandatory challenger, William Scull.
Canelo has 28 days to reach an agreement to avoid a purse bid. If he fails to comply with the fight, he would likely be stripped of his title, as the IBF recently did with Terence Crawford.
The IBF is the most stringent body regarding mandatory defenses. A few months ago, as we saw Canelo not fulfilling his mandatory fights, it was questioned whether the IBF would strip Canelo Álvarez in 2024.
Cuban boxer William Scull is undefeated with a record of 22-0, including 9 knockouts. Since leaving Cuba, he has been based in Germany, according to Solo Boxeo.
It’s worth recalling that in 2019, the IBF stripped Canelo of the middleweight title for not defending it against the mandatory challenger, Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Seeing how the WBC caters to Canelo’s financial influence and avoids his matchup with the mandatory challenger David Benavidez, it is gratifying to see an organization finally attempting to make the Mexican star adhere to the rules and force him to face the mandatory challenger, even if it is late.
It had been indicated that Canelo was scheduled to face Edgar Berlanga in September. Now, this decision could lead to the Cuban becoming Canelo’s next opponent to avoid being stripped of the title.
