‘Canelo’ Álvarez is undisputed champ once more: these were the keys to his win over Scull
Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez has regained his status as the undisputed super middleweight world champion, after a unanimous-decision win over William Scull.
Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez remains the greatest exponent of Mexican boxing, after defeating William Scull to once again become the undisputed super middleweight world champion.
It is a status Álvarez had lost in July last year, when he was stripped of his IBF belt over his failure to fulfil his mandatory title defense.
In Riyadh on Saturday, the 34-year-old scored a unanimous-decision victory over Scull, who had claimed the Mexican’s vacated IBF title by beating Russia’s Vladimir Shishkin in October.
The key’s to Canelo’s win:
At the Saudi capital’s Anb Arena, Canelo opted for a strategy that differed from his previous fights.
Álvarez didn’t chase a knockout
One of the keys to Álvarez’s victory was his focus on winning round by round, rather than going for the knockout. This strategy, adopted on the advice of trainer Eddy Reynoso, was crucial. Canelo focused on picking up points to secure a win on the scorecards, as going for a knockout against a rival like Scull was risky. The Cuban fighter was lying in wait, looking for an opening to land a punch on Álvarez’s jaw.
The Mexican hunted Scull down
Scull moved around the ring, trying to evade Álvarez’s punches while attempting to land a blow to Canelo’s face for victory by knockout. However, Álvarez remained watchful of his opponent’s movements and, like a hunter, went after his prey only when the moment was right. This approach paid off as he managed to trap Scull against the ropes and in the corner.
Canelo got his preparations right
For this fight in Saudi Arabia, Canelo had to adjust his schedule. Since the bout took place in the early hours of the morning to align with the typical fight time in America, he had to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m., to spar at 5 or 6 a.m. and get his body clock in sync with the unusual schedule. He traveled to the Middle East three weeks in advance, to acclimatize to the country and the clock.
Reynoso’s advice was vital
Despite his youth, Reynoso is an experienced figure and advised Álvarez from the corner to remain patient and keep his points total ticking over. He cautioned Canelo not to get frustrated as Scull moved around the ring. Reynoso also identified a flaw in the Cuban’s stance, allowing his fighter to exploit this during the bout.
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