De La Hoya SLAMS Canelo’s Fight With Scull – ‘What Are You Doing?

Oscar De La Hoya has slammed Canelo Alvarez’s decision to fight William Scull in his next fight in May.

Canelo faces the IBF Super Middleweight Champion in a fight that could have happened last year. Canelo was scheduled to face Scull when the latter was his IBF mandatory for his undisputed title. But Canelo ended up getting stripped after he chose to face Edgar Berlanga on Mexican Independence Weekend instead. The decision was seen as a way for Canelo to earn a lucrative purse since Berlanga’s Puerto Rican background could sell the fight. That proved successful, as the fight sold 650,000 PPVs, bringing in a live gate of $17 million. 

It was also the right decision since Canelo was going up against UFC 306, which was holding the first combat sports event at The Sphere. Scull ended up facing Vladimir Shishkin for the vacant IBF title, as he secured a unanimous decision to get the belt. A win for Canelo over Scull makes him undisputed for the second time at 168 pounds, going down in history once again. Canelo is then expected to face Terence Crawford in September in a defense of what would be his undisputed title. But De La Hoya is not pleased with the Scull fight. He was adamant that boxing fans wanted to see the David Benavidez bout. 

Benavidez was the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Champion for more than two years. But he failed to get the Canelo fight after the latter reportedly wanted $150-200 million to make the bout. The WBC did not strip Canelo or call the mandatory, meaning Benavidez moved up to 175 pounds. Benavidez defeated David Morrell Jr. in his last fight to become the WBC and WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Champion.

De La Hoya Reacts

He is now mandatory for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol. Bivol is expected to face Artur Beterbiev in a trilogy after which Benavidez could get his shot. But the WBC recently said Bivol must face Benavidez next, leaving boxing fans with plenty to think about. Either way, it reduces the chances of fans seeing a Canelo and Benavidez fight. But it is still possible if Benavidez were to become undisputed at 175 pounds, giving Canelo more of an incentive to take that fight. De La Hoya was not happy with the Scull fight.

"Canelo, what are you doing? People want to see big fights. They want to see Benavidez. To a certain extent, they want to see Crawford. The big mega-events, especially towards the end of your career. This is the fourth quarter of Canelo’s career.  So, you might as well give them the big fights. It’s his career, his choices.

"10, 15 years from now, are we going to say you ducked Benavidez or you gave us a great fight with Benavidez? That’s the question. I think it would be a great fight. I think it’s a pick ’em fight. That’s why I don’t understand. Fight the very best. He’s at the elite, at the top. You might as well fight the very best. Whoever they put in front of you, that’s what legends do," De La Hoya said 

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