Three Keys to Victory for William Scull vs Canelo Alvarez

William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) will face Canelo Alvarez on May 3 with undisputed super middleweight glory up for grabs. The entire card will be shown live on DAZN Pay-Per-View worldwide from the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This will be Canelo’s first fight under his historic four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, with Scull aiming to spoil the party. Here are three keys to victory for Scull as he bids for undisputed glory.

Three Keys to Victory for William Scull on May 3

Height and Reach

Standing at 1.80m, Scull holds a height and reach advantage over the 1.73m Canelo and will need to make full use of it to beat the Mexican. If Canelo consistently gets inside Scull’s jab, it could be over quickly for the Cuban, who is untested at the highest level.

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The Cuban will need to double and triple up on the jab to maintain distance and back Canelo up. With the Mexican on the defensive, it could provide opportunities for Scull to exploit.

Conditioning

Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) has lots of experience and has proven he’s more than conditioned to go 12 rounds. Scull will need to pace himself and be thoughtful with his work. He has proven in his past fights that he picks his shots well and is adept at frustrating opponents.

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Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) has a good ring IQ and needs to keep moving to frustrate Canelo. Scull’s strong ring IQ will be key—he needs to keep moving to disrupt Canelo’s rhythm. If he stays static for too long, Alvarez will close the distance and let his hands go. The importance of conditioning links back to the use of his jab that we mentioned earlier. The more Scull uses his jab to maintain the distance, the more he’ll need to rely on endurance to carry that plan through the later rounds.

Footwork

Scull’s footwork will be crucial in this fight. He needs to control the distance, and that starts with how he moves. Whether he’s moving in to throw a double or triple jab to back Canelo up or pivoting out of danger, Scull must stay mobile and disciplined with his movement.

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If Scull is not mobile, Canelo will soon back him up and dictate the bout. If the Cuban can get into a groove, he will surely look to make it as awkward as possible for Alvarez, much like his fellow Cuban Erislandy Lara did.

Alvarez vs Scull Undercard

• Bruno Surace vs. Jaime Munguia, rematch, 12 rounds, super middleweights
• Efe Ajagba vs. Martin Bakole, 12 rounds, heavyweights
• Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian, 12 rounds, for Jack’s WBC cruiserweight title
• Marco Verde vs. Michel Polina, 6 rounds, middleweights
• Brayan Leon vs. Aaron Guerrero, 6 rounds, light heavyweights

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