Canelo Undecided On Vacating IBF Title – What’s Next?

In today’s boxing update, Canelo Alvarez remains undecided whether he will vacate his IBF Super Middleweight Title. 

Alvarez is the current undisputed champion at 168, who has been ordered to face his mandatory William Scull next. The purse bids have been set for June 6. Canelo is coming off a unanimous decision against Jaime Munguia on May 4. The Mexican was criticized for taking the fight instead of boxing David Benavidez. After the win, Canelo stated he would only fight Benavidez for $200 million. It has left him in a tough spot since no one will put up those numbers.

Facing Scull will bring a lot of backlash. He is not a big name, making this a much harder fight to sell. If Canelo vacates or is stripped, he will no longer be undisputed. That rules out a potential fight with Terence Crawford and David Benavidez. The appeal for those fighters is Canelo’s undisputed belt. If Canelo is no longer undisputed, he will receive fewer paydays with the reduced leverage.

Another option is to face Scully and fight Crawford or Benavidez next. That would appease the backlash from fans, who have been waiting for a prolonged period. While Canelo could offer Scull step-aside money to fight Crawford or Benavidez, that is unlikely due to the strict nature of the IBF. Benavidez and Crawford will also box within the next two months, leaving a possible fight only until the end of the year or the start of next year. Dan Rafael has said Canelo is still unsure about his next steps. 

Canelo’s Future

“Purse bid for Canelo’s IBF mandatory vs. William Scull is set for Thursday. I messaged with Canelo & he said he hasn’t vacated or decided his plans yet, despite reports to the contrary that didn’t quote him. His comment to me: ‘No decision yet.’ He’s been vacationing in Italy,” Dan Rafael stated 

Edgar Berlanga is Canelo’s WBA mandatory, making that a possible fight for September. It could sell a decent amount of PPVs since Berlanga is Puerto Rican. That would bring much interest since Canelo has a Mexican fanbase, with a potential date for Mexican Independence Day. However, since the UFC is likely to schedule something on the same day, Canelo would need a big fight to make it a competitive event to compete against the UFC.

The Saudis are reportedly keen on making Canelo face Crawford. Alvarez dismissed that fight by stating he gets no credit for beating a 147 fighter. But with the increasing pressure to face the big names, Canelo must make the right move. The increasing number of PPVs, especially from the Saudi events, has given boxing fans more choice than ever.

While that will benefit the sport, it has also made fans picky over the fights they buy. The rise of illegal streaming also means that the fights have to be huge events to convince the public to buy them. That leaves Canelo with something to ponder about whether he wants the big purses. 

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