Unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) became a two-time undisputed champion at 168 by defeating IBF champ William Scull (23-1, 9 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The scores
115-113
116-112
119-109
It was not an impressive fight by either fighter tonight. Canelo looked old, with a low output, and was hit by shots that he shouldn’t have been by Scull. The Cuban Scull fought to survive, using movement in every round, trying not to get hit. Canelo wanted this fight rather than take on better fighters like David Benavidez. He can only blame himself for it being boring. When you cherry pick, this is what you get.
Undercard Results
WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) was gifted a 12-round majority decision over Norair Mikaeljan (27-3, 12 KOs). The younger fighter dominated the action with his speedy hands and beautiful combinations. Jack, 41, was mostly landing while the two were tied up. From the outside, Mikaeljan controlled the action, hitting Badou with clean right hands and left hooks. The scores were 114-114, 115-113, and 115-113. Fans on social media disagree with Jack being given the decision, as he appeared to lose badly. Hopefully, the main event isn’t scored in a similar controversial way because this card tonight has now had two very questionable decisions.
Jaime Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) outworked his former conqueror Bruno Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs) to win a 12-round unanimous decision in their rematch at super middleweight. The judges scored it 116-112, 117-111, and 117-111. Surace used his fast right-hand power shot to get the better of Munguia through four.
Jaime kept pressing Surace, forcing him against the ropes, and unloading him in round after round in the second half of the contest to get the win. Surace didn’t have any inside game. He was just shelling up, allowing Munguia to tee off.
With the win, Munguia avenges his humiliating knockout loss to Surace from last December in Tijuana. Obviously, he would have preferred to score a stoppage of Surace, but he couldn’t do that.
Heavyweight Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) went to war with 2016 Olympian Efe Ajagba (21-1, 14 KOs), battling him to a 10-round majority draw. The heavy 299-lb Bakole gave away the first three rounds, allowing the 6’6″ Ajagba to potshot him with jabs and right-hand power shots.
Bakole began rallying in the fourth when he trapped Ajagba against the ropes and unloaded with big shots to the side and on top of his head. Bakole took round five off, which ultimately turned out to be a mistake. Ajagba fought well using his legs in rounds five through seven, limiting Bakole’s opportunities to land. Beginning in the eighth, Bakole went after Ajagba, tagging him with hard punches and trapping him against the ropes. Bakole dominated rounds 8 through 10. The scores were 96-94 for Ajagba, 95-95, and 95-95. Ajagba
Brayan Leon (7-0, 6 KOs) beat the tough Aaron Rocha Guerrero (11-4-1, 7 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision in light heavyweight action. The two-time Cuban junior national champion Leon, 22, knocked Guerrro down with a left hook in round four, and continued to dominate the remainder of the contest with hard power shots. Everything that Leon threw was seemingly at 100% power. Guerrero had his moments in the fight, hurting Leon with a left in the third, but was unable to capitalize on it.
by a six-round points decision. The score was 60-54. The two-time Cuban junior national champion Leon, 22, dropped Guerrero with a hard left hook to the head in round fou
Former cruiserweight world title challenger Richard Riakporhe (19-1, 14 KOs) looked great, dominating the 297-lb Kevin Nicolas Espindola (9-10, 4 KOs), scoring a fourth-round technical knockout.
The chiseled-looking Riakporhe, 35, pounded at Espindola’s rounded midsection with sledgehammer-like shots in the fourth round, causing him to go down. Espindola showed heart after he got back to his feet, attacking Riakporhe with body shots to get him to back off. After the round ended, Espindola’s corner decided not to send him out for the fifth.
2024 Olympian Marco Verde (1-0, 1 KOs) made quick work of Michel Galvan Polina (4-6-3, 2 KOs) in his middleweight debut, knocking him down twice to score a first-round knockout. The stoppage occurred at 1:34 of the round.
Mohammed Alakel (4-0) used his volume punching to defeat Alexander Morales (6-14-5, 2 KOs) by a six-round points decision in super featherweight action. The score was 60-5
Unified three-belt 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez will try to become a two-time undisputed super middleweight champ against IBF belt holder William Scull in Riyadh. In undercard action, Jaime Munguia seeks redemption against Bruno Surace in a rematch in a super middleweight fight. 299-lb Martin Bakole battles knockout artist Efe Ajagba in a heavyweight clash.