Terence Crawford will have to wait until 2026 to face Canelo Alvarez if William Scull pulls off an upset on May 3.
Worldboxingnews.com understands that if Scull does the unthinkable and inflicts a third defeat on the Mexican superstar. Scull, the IBF super middleweight titleholder, got the nod to face Canelo on his Saudi Arabia debut after claiming the world title belt the IBF stripped from Canelo.
Canelo wants to be undisputed for a second time. Scull gets thrust into the spotlight in part one of Turki Alalshikh’s four-fight deal.
The second part of that contract includes a fight against Crawford in Las Vegas. Nevada this September. However, if Scull derails those plans, a rematch will take precedence over the Crawford encounter.
WBN also understands that any second Canelo vs. Scull bout would take the Mexican Independence Day weekend spot currently saved for Crawford at Allegiant Stadium. The only alteration would be that Canelo vs. Scull 2 would take place at T-Mobile Arena, rather than the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Canelo vs. Crawford would get pushed back to May 2, 2026, if the belts are reclaimed from Scull.
Everything currently rides on a Canelo victory in the next couple of weeks, with Scull a rank outsider. Despite the 8/1 odds, WBN has heard from boxing insiders who believe more by the day that Scull has a real shot in the fight.
At 23-0, 9 KOs, Scull is yet to taste defeat but has never operated on the same level as Canelo. Some fancy the well-schooled world champion Cuban to shock an aging Canelo, who hasn’t been at his impressive best in five straight unanimous decision wins.
‘Bud’ Crawford will be an interested spectator as the Omaha, Nebraska native keeps his fingers crossed that Canelo gets the job done in his next fight.
The former super welterweight champion, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, seeks his opportunity to win the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO unified titles in a third weight class.
Crawford’s chance opened up following solid victories over Israil Madrimov and Errol Spence Jr. He now needs Canelo not to slip up, leaving Crawford to take an unplanned interim fight before the end of the year.
The highly anticipated Pay-Per-View event all hinges on May 2.
Sign up for the WBN Newsletter for free and get daily news directly in your email. Never miss a story.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, an experienced boxing writer and World Boxing News Editor since 2010.
