Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull: Fight Recap and Analysis

Round 1

Both fighters started in the orthodox stance. Scull appeared physically larger and initiated with a sharp jab. Historically, Canelo often uses the early rounds to gauge his opponent`s timing. Canelo quickly began cutting off the ring, landing a right hand over Scull`s guard. Scull maintained lateral movement while Canelo pressed forward. Scull attempted a right hand but fell short. Canelo advanced with ease, closing the distance without throwing many punches, seemingly prioritizing range control. Scull continued to move, occasionally flicking a jab. The round saw minimal action.

Score: 10-10

Round 2

Following a very low-action opening round, Canelo immediately resumed his forward pressure, forcing Scull to retreat towards the ropes before shifting away. Scull seemed intent on counter-punching, but Canelo offered few opportunities. Canelo landed a solid right hook to the body, following with a blocked left upstairs. Another body shot from Canelo was followed by a looping right hand that connected, visibly affecting Scull, who had to back away. Canelo patiently stalked Scull, who struggled to land his jab even from distance. Canelo landed a combination to the body just before the bell.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 19-18 Canelo)

Round 3

Canelo continued to advance. Scull remained in constant motion and took a body shot. Scull`s offense remained ineffective; his jabs weren`t landing, and he hesitated to commit to his right hand. He finally threw a right hand that Canelo rolled off, but it did land – a necessary punch for Scull. Canelo responded with a body shot. Scull landed a looping right hook and started holding ground in the center more, which helped him land another right hand. Scull increased his jab output as Canelo appeared to take the pace down slightly in this round.

Score: 10-9 Scull (Total: 28-28)

Round 4

Canelo pressed forward again, cornering Scull on the ropes and landing a couple of body shots – his apparent focus in this phase. He repeated this tactic when Scull reached the ropes again, landing a two-punch combination. Scull was unable to push Canelo back and wasn`t outworking him effectively. They exchanged right hands. Scull increased his punch volume, but little landed. Canelo`s output remained low as well.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 38-37 Canelo)

Round 5

Scull landed a nice uppercut that found its way through the guard, showing increased confidence. However, Canelo seemed unfazed, though he continued to have long stretches of inactivity. Winning purely by presence proved difficult. Punch stats highlighted the fight`s slow pace: Canelo had landed only 12 punches from 38 thrown, while Scull landed 15 from over 100 thrown – ineffective volume versus insufficient volume. Canelo attempted a combination that missed. Scull continued to move. Canelo landed to the body, and Scull returned fire to the body. Canelo finished the action with a right hand.

Score: 10-10 (Total: 48-47 Canelo)

Round 6

Scull landed a clean, shifting right hand early – arguably his best punch so far. However, he failed to follow up, and Canelo continued to pressure him. Body shots were exchanged. Canelo opened up to the body, prompting Scull to respond in kind. The fight`s pace remained a concern; Canelo`s one-punch-every-23-seconds approach was unengaging, matched by Scull`s frequent, ineffective jabs. Canelo missed a swing to the body.

Critiques of the broadcast commentary became prominent, with observations that their analysis heavily favored Canelo, suggesting Scull wasn`t trying to win despite being the more active fighter at times.

Score: 10-9 Scull (Total: 57-57)

Round 7

The commentary shifted away from the fight itself, reportedly discussing unrelated topics, perhaps due to the lack of action. The pattern persisted: Canelo marched, Scull moved. While the commentary arguably painted a picture of Canelo dominating, the reality appeared less impressive, with Canelo having landed only 25 punches total through six rounds.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 67-66 Canelo)

Round 8

The round unfolded predictably: Canelo`s steady advance, landing a body shot roughly every 20 seconds, while Scull`s jabs were consistently parried. This dynamic continued, accompanied by the commentary team`s increasingly critical tone towards Scull. Canelo cornered Scull, leading to brief flurries where Canelo landed to the body, and Scull`s counters were blocked. Scull`s movement continued. The critique of the commentary persisted, describing it as detrimental to the viewing experience due to constant suggestions that Scull “isn`t trying to win.”

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 77-75 Canelo)

Round 9

The referee momentarily stopped the action to encourage both fighters, a moment the commentary team immediately interpreted as directed solely at Scull, despite Canelo also having a low punch output (around 10 punches per round). A low blow from Canelo caused a pause. The round continued with the familiar pattern – light body shots, missed punches, Scull`s movement. The crowd began to show signs of restlessness. Scull took another body shot but kept moving.

Despite the slow pace, Canelo did land some decent body shots. Scull moved and even showboated slightly. Criticism of the commentary team`s perceived bias became sharper, noting their unwavering defense of Canelo and harsh judgment of Scull. The round ended with nine minutes of the fight remaining.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 87-84 Canelo)

Round 10

With little action in the ring, the commentary reportedly resorted to discussing other topics. The fight`s rhythm remained consistent: Scull circling, Canelo cutting off the ring and landing infrequent body shots. A moment of note occurred when Scull landed a nice right hand as Canelo came in, which Canelo took well, but the commentary team immediately downplayed it, reinforcing the perception of bias.

A particularly harsh quote from the commentary directed at Scull highlighted the strong negative tone used against him. The round concluded with the same pattern, leaving an impression of futility regarding the analysis of individual rounds.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 97-93 Canelo)

Round 11

The referee again warned the fighters to increase action, prompting Canelo to tell the referee to address Scull. Both fighters were criticized for their low output. The analyst Daniel Jacobs was credited for providing more objective commentary, acknowledging Canelo`s minimal activity and potential for improvement. Another commentator, however, reportedly continued to defend Canelo, arguing Scull wasn`t providing counter opportunities, dismissing other fighting strategies.

The round maintained the established pattern. Canelo landed some solid body shots as Scull moved. Canelo also landed a decent left hand when Scull charged in. The commentary team reportedly seemed visibly upset by any suggestion that Canelo was not performing optimally, ardently defending his performance against criticism.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 107-102 Canelo)

Round 12

Entering the final round, Canelo was expected to win. Scull moved slightly less and took another body shot. As Canelo increased his aggression, Scull fired back with counters, leading to a more active final round. Canelo charged in with a body combination.

The commentary team continued its critique of Scull, discussing the possibility of point deductions for inactivity, despite Scull having thrown significantly more punches than Canelo throughout the fight. Their strong negative portrayal of Scull persisted until the end.

Score: 10-9 Canelo (Total: 117-111 Canelo)