The press tour for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) vs. William Skull (23-0, 9 KOs) May 3 fight for the undisputed super middleweight title hit NYC on Thursday at Radio City Music Hall, but more importantly was the bold message sent to the sanctioning bodies.
Fresh off Wednesday’s announcement of the new boxing league formed by Turki Alalshikh, which will be run by UFC Founder & CEO Dana White, who said they will feature their own belt, the four sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO) took a jab to the face which was unexpected. Canelo faced off with Skull at the end of the presser and Alalshikh signaled to Canelo that only the Undisputed and Ring titles would be displayed in the photo with the three of them. This move was a show of force and sent a message to the four sanctioning of what is to come.
This is a mixed message as the four sanctioning bodies currently have business deals with Riyadh Season, which has made them a part of the Saudi takeover. On the other hand, White is not a fan of multiple sanctioning bodies which makes Alalshikh’s move a bit of a head-scratcher. Did his thinking change from when those deals were made, and now, with White involved, Alalshikh is leaning more towards the White/UFC model, which simplifies weight classes and features one title per weight class? Many interesting things are on the horizon, so let’s see how they all play out.
With regard to the presser itself, it was a typical Canelo event where he displays a high level of professionalism with media from all over the world on hand. Here are some quotes that Queensberry Promotions sent out via a press release.
“I’m grateful for all of you, coming out here to support me. Let’s make history.”
“It´s going to be a difficult fight against a complicated style of boxing like the Cuban style. I’m going to try my best to hurt my opponent on May 3.
“I’m not thinking about September. I’m 100% focused on Scull for May 3.”
“Fighting in Saudi Arabia is something new for me, but I’m ready to fight anywhere because Canelo’s territory is everywhere worldwide.”
William Scull
“I’m thrilled to be here. And I’m ready to show the world that yes, we can.”
“Nothing comes easy in boxing, everyone knows that. Everything I’ve earned has been through shutting doubters up. I feel firm and sure of myself, and the winner on May 3 won’t be decided until the final round.”
“I rely on my fundamentals, and I’ve sacrificed a lot to be here…I want people to know that anything is possible. I’m a humble warrior that’s proud to represent my fellow Cubans and I’m ready to shock the world with an upset on May 3.”
Eddy Reynoso
“We are going to be up against the Cuban school of boxing, which is among the best in the world, and a World Champion. We respect both Scull and his team very much”
“We are going to work hard as always with a lot of discipline and effort, Canelo is always at the gym. We will be undisputed for a second time.”
FRANQUOIS AIDAMA. William Scull’s trainer
“We are working hard. We know that Canelo is one of the best ever, but you are going to see the best of William Scull on May 3”
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