On the morning of May 4, 2025, as the sun rose over the sands of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez stood in the ring at ANB Arena, his gloved fists raised in triumph.
The Mexican boxing superstar had just defeated William Scull by unanimous decision, reclaiming the IBF super middleweight title and solidifying his status as the undisputed champion of the 168-pound division for the second time in his storied career.
In a big time for combat sport worldwide at the moment, Canelo once again showed he is King of pay per view at least in boxing.
The scorecards read 115-113, 116-112, and 119-109, reflecting a fight that, while not a spectacle of fireworks, showcased Canelo’s technical mastery and relentless pressure against a slippery, defensive opponent.
This victory, his 63rd in a professional record of 63-2-2, was more than just another notch on his belt—it was a historic moment that underscored the shifting tides of professional sports, the global reach of Alvarez’s star power, and the cultural significance of a Mexican icon dominating the Cinco de Mayo weekend in an unlikely new battleground: the Middle East.
Canelo’s Triumph Over Scull: A Masterclass in Patience
The fight itself was not the explosive knockout that some fans had hoped for. William Scull, a 32-year-old Cuban fighting out of Germany, entered the ring with an undefeated record of 23-0 and the IBF title, which he had won in October 2024 by outpointing Vladimir Shishkin.
Scull’s style was quintessentially Cuban: slick, defensive, and reliant on lateral movement and quick jabs to frustrate opponents. Against Canelo, he employed this strategy to the extreme, throwing 293 punches—most of them light jabs—and landing just 76, according to CompuBox statistics. Alvarez, by contrast, threw only 152 punches but landed 62, focusing on powerful body shots and precise counters that wore Scull down over 12 rounds.
From the opening bell, Scull’s game plan was clear: survive and steal rounds through activity, not engagement. He circled the ring, smiling at Canelo and flicking jabs, hoping to bait the Mexican into reckless aggression. Canelo, however, remained composed, stalking his prey with the patience of a seasoned predator. His signature left hooks to the body and straight rights to the head landed with thudding authority, though Scull’s movement kept him from absorbing the full brunt of Alvarez’s power.
The crowd, expecting a Cinco de Mayo knockout, grew restless as the fight progressed, and the referee even warned Scull for his lack of engagement. Yet Canelo’s focus never wavered. “That’s why I don’t like to fight those kinds of guys,” Alvarez said post-fight. “They come just to survive, just to do the 12 rounds.”
The judges’ scorecards reflected Canelo’s dominance, though the 115-113 card suggested a closer fight than most observers saw. The 119-109 score, in particular, captured the reality: Scull’s activity was no match for Canelo’s precision and power. CompuBox noted that the 445 total punches thrown by both fighters were the fewest in a 12-round fight in boxing history, a testament to Scull’s defensive approach and Canelo’s measured output.
For Alvarez, the victory was bittersweet—not the thrilling knockout he might have wanted, but a necessary step to reclaim the IBF belt stripped from him in 2024 for failing to face Scull as the mandatory challenger. More importantly, it set the stage for a blockbuster September 2025 showdown with Terence Crawford, a fight that promises to be one of the biggest in boxing history.
The Cinco de Mayo Tradition and Its New Global Stage
Canelo Alvarez has long been synonymous with Cinco de Mayo weekend, a Mexican holiday commemorating the 1862 Battle of Puebla. Since 2010, he has fought on or around this date 10 times, compiling a 9-1 record with victories over the likes of Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, and Daniel Jacobs.
These fights, often held in Las Vegas, have become a cultural touchstone, blending Mexican pride with boxing’s spectacle. Alvarez’s ability to draw massive crowds and pay-per-view buys on this weekend has made him the undisputed king of Cinco de Mayo boxing, a title he has carried with pride and leveraged into global stardom.
In 2025, however, the tradition took a dramatic turn. For the first time in his professional career, Canelo fought outside North America, headlining a card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the banner of Riyadh Season, the kingdom’s ambitious entertainment initiative led by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority.
The decision to stage the fight in Saudi Arabia was a bold departure from tradition, reflecting the seismic changes reshaping professional sports. Saudi Arabia, with its vast financial resources and strategic investments in sports, has emerged as a new hub for boxing, hosting high-profile bouts featuring Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk in recent years. Alvarez’s move to Riyadh was not just a one-off; it marked the beginning of a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, reportedly worth $400 million, that will see him fight three more times in the kingdom by 2026.
The timing of the fight—early morning on May 4 in Riyadh to align with prime-time U.S. broadcasts on May 3—underscored Saudi Arabia’s commitment to capturing the American market. DAZN, the streaming platform broadcasting the fight for $59.99, reported strong pay-per-view numbers, with estimates suggesting over 800,000 buys in the U.S. alone.
This figure, while not matching Canelo’s peak performances (such as the 1.2 million buys for his 2018 rematch with Gennady Golovkin), demonstrated his enduring appeal, even in a new market and against a relatively unknown opponent like Scull. The undercard, featuring Jaime Munguia’s unanimous decision win over Bruno Surace and Badou Jack’s majority decision defense of the WBC cruiserweight title, added depth to the event, but it was Canelo who drove the commercial success.
The Changing Landscape of Professional Sports
Canelo’s fight in Saudi Arabia is emblematic of a broader transformation in professional sports, where traditional Western and Latin American stars are increasingly drawn to the Middle East’s financial and promotional power. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has poured billions into sports, from boxing to soccer, golf, and Formula 1, aiming to diversify the kingdom’s economy and enhance its global image.
In boxing, Turki Alalshikh has become a pivotal figure, orchestrating mega-fights and signing top talents like Alvarez, Anthony Joshua, and Terence Crawford. His vision is clear: make Saudi Arabia the epicenter of combat sports, offering purses and production values that rival or surpass those of Las Vegas or New York.
For Canelo, the move to Saudi Arabia was a strategic one. After parting ways with DAZN’s initial $365 million deal in 2020 and navigating a series of promotional shifts, Alvarez found in Alalshikh a partner willing to meet his financial and competitive demands.
The $400 million four-fight deal, announced in February 2025, dwarfed previous contracts and secured Canelo’s legacy as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. His purse for the Scull fight alone was estimated at $35 million, with additional bonuses tied to pay-per-view performance. Scull, by contrast, earned a career-high $2.5 million, a figure that highlights the disparity between Canelo’s star power and his opponent’s relative obscurity.
This shift to the Middle East is not without controversy. Critics argue that Saudi Arabia’s sports investments are a form of “sportswashing,” an attempt to distract from human rights concerns. Canelo, however, has remained focused on the business of boxing. “I just fight real fighters,” he said in a Ring Magazine interview, dismissing speculation about a potential bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
His decision to sign with Riyadh Season came just hours after reports surfaced of a possible Paul fight in Las Vegas, a move that underscored Alvarez’s preference for legacy-defining challenges over novelty matchups.
The globalization of boxing is also reshaping the sport’s calendar and audience. Cinco de Mayo weekend 2025 was a microcosm of this trend, with three major fight cards across three continents. On May 2, New York’s Times Square hosted a DAZN PPV event featuring Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez, promoted by Ring Magazine and backed by Saudi investment.
On May 4, Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed junior featherweight title against Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas, marking his first U.S. fight since 2021. Canelo’s Riyadh card, sandwiched between these events, competed for attention but still drew significant viewership, with DAZN reporting a global audience of over 2 million households. This packed schedule reflects boxing’s growing fragmentation but also its expanding reach, as promoters leverage streaming platforms and international markets to maximize revenue.
Canelo’s Commercial Drawing Power: Facts and Figures
Canelo Alvarez’s commercial dominance is unrivaled in boxing, a product of his skill, charisma, and deep connection to Mexican and Latin American audiences. At 34, he remains the sport’s biggest draw, capable of filling arenas and driving pay-per-view sales in a way few others can.
His record of 63-2-2, with 39 knockouts, includes victories over legends like Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Gennady Golovkin, cementing his status as a four-weight world champion and the first undisputed super middleweight champion in the four-belt era (2021-2024). His losses—to Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol in 2022—only enhanced his reputation, as he took on elite competition at the peak of their powers.
Financially, Canelo is a juggernaut. His fights have generated over $1.5 billion in total revenue since 2013, including ticket sales, pay-per-view buys, and sponsorships. His 2018 rematch with Golovkin holds the third-highest gate in boxing history at $24.6 million, surpassed only by Mayweather-Pacquiao and Mayweather-McGregor.
His 2021 fight against Caleb Plant, which made him undisputed at 168 pounds, drew 800,000 PPV buys and a $18.7 million gate. Even his 2024 bouts against Jaime Munguia (600,000 buys) and Edgar Berlanga (700,000 buys) outperformed most non-Canelo boxing events, despite facing criticism for less-than-stellar opposition.
In Saudi Arabia, Canelo’s drawing power was evident. The ANB Arena, with a capacity of 10,000, sold out within days of the fight’s announcement, with ticket prices ranging from $200 to $5,000. The event’s gate was estimated at $12 million, a strong figure for a venue smaller than Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena.
DAZN’s $59.99 PPV price, while steep, was justified by Canelo’s brand, with the “Knockout Weekend Bundle” (including the Times Square card) selling for $89.99. Sponsorships from brands like Hennessy, Tecate, and Fatal Fury: City of Wolves added millions to the event’s revenue, with Canelo’s likeness prominently featured in global marketing campaigns.
Alvarez’s appeal extends beyond boxing. His social media presence—10 million Instagram followers, 4 million on X—ranks among the highest for active athletes, surpassing stars like Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor. His endorsement deals with Under Armour, Chivas Regal, and Dolce & Gabbana generate an estimated $10 million annually, while his Canelo Promotions company has expanded his influence as a promoter.
In Mexico, he is a national hero, with viewership data showing that his fights regularly draw over 10 million viewers on Televisa and TV Azteca. In the U.S., his appeal among Hispanic audiences drives ESPN and DAZN ratings, with his 2024 Berlanga fight averaging 6.5 million viewers on ESPN’s Spanish-language feed.
The Rise of Latin American Stars in Global Sports
Canelo’s success in Saudi Arabia highlights the growing influence of Latin American athletes in global sports, particularly in boxing. Mexico has a storied boxing tradition, producing legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez. Canelo, however, has transcended his predecessors, becoming a global brand in a way that resonates with both Latin American and international audiences. His fights are cultural events, drawing fans from Mexico, the U.S., and beyond, who see in him a symbol of resilience and pride.
This trend extends to other Latin American stars. In soccer, Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami and Neymar’s stint in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal reflect the region’s export of talent to new markets. In boxing, fighters like Jaime Munguia (Mexico) and Emanuel Navarrete (Mexico) are following Canelo’s lead, headlining major cards and attracting global attention.
The Middle East, with its financial muscle, has become a magnet for these stars, offering purses that dwarf those of traditional markets. For example, Munguia earned $5 million for his May 3 undercard fight against Surace, a figure that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
The influx of Latin American talent is reshaping boxing’s demographics. In the U.S., Hispanic viewership for boxing has grown 20% since 2015, according to Nielsen data, driven by stars like Canelo and Ryan Garcia (of Mexican descent). In Saudi Arabia, promoters are targeting this audience through Spanish-language broadcasts and partnerships with Mexican brands like Tecate. The May 3 card’s undercard, featuring Munguia and Puerto Rican prospect Brayan Leon, was deliberately curated to appeal to Latin American fans, a strategy that paid off with strong streaming numbers in Mexico and Central America.
Challenges and Criticisms
Canelo’s move to Saudi Arabia has not been without challenges. The time zone difference—Riyadh is 10 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time—required fighters to adjust to a grueling schedule, with ring walks at 6:20 a.m. local time.
Alvarez, known for his meticulous preparation, arrived in Saudi Arabia two weeks early to acclimate, but some critics argued that the unusual timing affected his performance, contributing to the fight’s lack of spark. Former boxer Juan Manuel Marquez warned in April 2025 that Canelo could face “serious problems” adapting to the Middle East, a concern that proved overstated but not entirely baseless.
Critics also point to Canelo’s choice of opponents. Scull, while undefeated, was largely unknown, ranked No. 8 by ESPN at 168 pounds. Fans and analysts expressed frustration that Alvarez opted for Scull over bigger names like Terence Crawford or David Benavidez, the latter of whom moved to light heavyweight after years of chasing a Canelo fight.
Since his 2022 loss to Bivol, Canelo’s opponents—Golovkin, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Munguia, and Berlanga—have been criticized as underwhelming, with ESPN noting that he “has done nothing to help his case” in pound-for-pound rankings. The Scull fight, while necessary to reclaim the IBF title, did little to silence these critiques, as its low punch output and lack of drama left some fans unsatisfied.
The broader issue of Saudi Arabia’s role in sports looms large. Human rights organizations have criticized the kingdom’s investments, arguing that they obscure issues like political repression and gender inequality.
Canelo, like other athletes, has avoided engaging with these debates, focusing instead on his craft. “I’m here to fight, to give the fans a show,” he said in a pre-fight press conference. His stance reflects the pragmatism of many athletes navigating the new global sports landscape, where financial incentives often outweigh ethical concerns.
Looking Ahead: Canelo’s Legacy and the Crawford Showdown
Canelo’s victory over Scull was a means to an end: reclaiming undisputed status and setting up a September 12, 2025, mega-fight with Terence Crawford at Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium. Crawford, 41-0 with 31 knockouts, is a two-division undisputed champion and one of boxing’s pound-for-pound elites.
The fight, confirmed by Turki Alalshikh post-fight, promises to be Canelo’s toughest challenge since Bivol, pitting Alvarez’s power and durability against Crawford’s speed and ring IQ. Early odds list Canelo as a -200 favorite, but Crawford’s versatility makes the bout a toss-up, with projected PPV buys exceeding 1.5 million.
The Crawford fight will be a defining moment for Canelo’s legacy. At 34, he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, with 67 professional fights and over 700 rounds of wear and tear. His last knockout came in 2021 against Caleb Plant, and some question whether he can recapture the explosive power of his youth. Yet his performance against Scull, while not flashy, showed that he remains a master of his craft, capable of adapting to difficult styles and winning on points when knockouts elude him.
Beyond the ring, Canelo’s influence continues to grow. His Canelo Promotions is nurturing young Mexican talent, and his philanthropy—donating millions to children’s hospitals in Guadalajara—has endeared him to fans. His story, from selling ice cream in a small suburb to becoming a global icon, resonates as a rags-to-riches tale in the tradition of Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. “I just want to continue making history,” Alvarez said in 2023, a goal he has pursued with relentless ambition.
A King in a New Kingdom
Canelo Alvarez’s victory over William Scull on May 4, 2025, was more than a boxing match—it was a statement. By reclaiming the undisputed super middleweight title in Saudi Arabia, he not only extended his reign as the king of Cinco de Mayo but also embraced the new frontier of professional sports.
The Middle East, with its financial might and global ambitions, is reshaping boxing, and Canelo, with his unmatched commercial power, is at the forefront of this revolution. His $400 million deal, sold-out arenas, and millions of viewers underscore his status as a global superstar, while his Latin American roots keep him grounded as a cultural icon.
The Scull fight may not have been a classic, but it served its purpose: keeping Canelo’s legacy intact and paving the way for a historic clash with Crawford. As professional sports continue to evolve, with Western and Latin American stars like Alvarez finding new stages in places like Riyadh, the world is watching.
Canelo, the kid from Guadalajara who once sold ice cream, has conquered boxing’s biggest stages. Now, in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, he has proven that his kingdom knows no borders.