Canelo Alvarez has made the choice to surrender his IBF super middleweight title instead of taking on his IBF-ordered mandatory challenger, William Scull, in his next bout. This decision leaves Canelo with three titles at 168 pounds, namely the WBA, WBC, and WBO.
The move to give up the title is logical for Canelo since a fight against the relatively unknown Scull would not have attracted much attention or pay-per-view sales. The news of Canelo, aged 33, relinquishing his IBF super middleweight belt was reported by Boxingscene, but it remains to be seen who he will face in his comeback fight scheduled for September.
Fans have voiced criticism towards the International Boxing Federation for picking Scull as Canelo’s mandatory challenger, highlighting that Scull has not competed against any noteworthy opponents during his career. With Canelo vacating his IBF title, the governing body will likely have to select between contenders like Vladimir Shishkin and Christian Mbilli to fight Scull for the vacant championship.
In terms of potential matchups for Canelo, his WBA mandatory challenger, Edgar Berlanga, has shown interest in taking on the Mexican superstar. Berlanga, who is promoted by Eddie Hearn at Matchroom, has been campaigning for a showdown with Canelo, potentially set to take place on DAZN pay-per-view.
While Berlanga may not be the first choice for all boxing enthusiasts, he is seen as a better option compared to William Scull. Suggestions have been made that the IBF should have organized a title eliminator involving Scull and top contenders such as Christian Mbilli, Diego Pacheco, or Caleb Plant to earn a chance to fight Canelo, as they are deemed as more credible opponents in the super middleweight category.
