Canelo Alvarez defended his undisputed title a fourth time with elan. The super middleweight champion squared up against Jaime Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena on the Cinco de Mayo weekend. Despite the Tijuana-born young boxer’s bravado, it didn’t take much time before the P4P great made it clear why he was one of the greatest boxers of his generation. Fans are now looking forward to this year’s next outing. Talks of a potential clash with Terence Crawford have been going around for some time. Reports suggest the line-up seems to have attracted the attention of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh as well.

However, amidst all these developments, a new buildup seems to be gaining considerable traction. It seems that on the list of tentative opponents, Canelo Alvarez might have to reckon with one more name. William Scull is the top-ranking challenger to the Mexican icon’s IBF title. Now, as it appears, the sanctioning body wants to move ahead and expects the two to close the purse bid for a mandatory defense within the specified timeline. But the bigger question is whether the undisputed super middleweight champion will accept it or not. David Benavidez was the WBC mandatory challenger, after all.

The ‘Cinnamon’ Twist

“Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull purse bids are now scheduled for June 6th, as Scull’s team have requested immediate purse bids,” read Michael Benson‘s tweet. He further added that the IBF is pushing forward the mandatory defense of its belt that Canelo Alvarez currently holds alongside the WBC, WBA, and WBO, collectively forming his undisputed title (for the belt era).

The report appears to have taken many fans and followers by surprise. One user simply asked, “Wait, this is his next fight? William who?” Sharing similar sentiments, another one said, “Who is Scull? @Canelo, come on, champ, do better… the fans don’t want this fight, period.”

31-year-old William Scull is a Cuban-born boxer with an unbeaten record. If Canelo Alvarez comes up, then it will be the first title shot for the Berlin resident. He has, otherwise, netted a few regional belts over the years. His last bout incidentally occurred on the Alvarez-Munguia main card. He defeated American Sean Hemphill by a unanimous decision.

A Fight for the Face of Boxing: Canelo Alvarez

On expected grounds, a few went back to the David Benavidez fight. Receiving a major fillip for his call-outs, the WBC elevated ‘The Mexican Monster’ as Canelo Alvarez’s mandatory challenger. But only the fight appears nowhere in the crosshairs. Alvarez moved ahead with the Munguia face-off. Benavidez, on the other hand, moved up a division and will fight his first title bout in the coming month.

Fans would be keenly awaiting Team Alvarez’s response to the IBF’s instructions thus far. There’s a good chance it could face the same fate as Benavidez’s mandatory. More so, the equation now includes a possible matchup with Terence Crawford. “I’m working to deliver [Canelo], but it will be big fight [for Crawford],” the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Saudi Arabia, reportedly told ESPN. It seems he is hoping for a December or January schedule, with the fight taking place in the United States.

So, whether Canelo Alvarez will go with the mandatory title defense or the big payday with Terence Crawford? Fans will be eagerly watching out as the situation unfolds in the coming weeks.

What’s your opinion? Should the P4P legend fight the relatively unknown Scull or go after bigger fights?