CNN Español
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The Cuban William Scull is the next rival of the Mexican boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and, although for many he is a stranger for having had most of his fighting as a professional in Argentina and Germany, the fighter born in the province of Matanzas and undefeated in the supermedian weight is the current world champion of the International Boxing Federation.
At the boxing level, the May 3 fight in Riad, Saudi Arabia, is the greatest challenge in Scull’s career, since Álvarez is the current champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (AMB) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), in addition to being considered by many the face of modern boxing.
However, although this combat is an opportunity for Canelo to recover the title of the International Boxing Federation (FIB), which he lost in September 2024 after not facing Scull at that time – current belt’s position – for the Cuban it is the dream opportunity to know him throughout the world for the media of his rival.
“I was in shock like two or three days that I didn’t believe it. Social networks burst everywhere and the truth that I didn’t believe it. My mother, my family, everyone happy. But I had not yet fallen, until a moment came that I said: we succeeded,” Scullor said from Mallorca, Spain, by Zoom A CNN.
Scull, which has an undefeated 23-0 record and comes from defeating Vladimir Shishkin in October in a fight held in Germany for the supermedian world title of IBF, began his professional career at the end of 2016 in Argentina because it was the place, which, as he says, gave him the first chance.
“I have to thank an Argentine who offered me to meet his country for a month. I liked professional boxing and from there they gone things,” said the 32 -year -old fighter to CNN. “I went out with an invitation letter to Argentina, which was where I managed to give it to me. All Cubans go to the United States. I did not have the possibility because I was not well known and they never made work contract or anything.” After almost two years in Argentina, another contract arose that took him to Germany, a place he says he liked since he was a child in Cuba, but did not choose to work, but “it was an opportunity.”
As an opportunity is the fight of this May 3 in the Saudi capital that will begin at 6 am, local time, in the ANB Arena and for which Scull says has been rigorously prepared by analyzing his rival, even if he does not want to reveal his strategies for the magnitude of the fight.
“Canelo handles the three distances: the long, the short, the average. It is strong, you have to work on the mistakes you make and try not to fall into your game,” explains Scull. “We are going to have a war with a warrior, with a boxing of this great level. The truth is that I am very happy for the moment and for being the protagonist of a great billboard of this magnitude.”
Once the fight was announced, the one born in the town of Zorrilla, Los Arabos municipality in Matanzas, Cuba, went from being an unknown to a very wanted boxer in social networks.
“Everyone wants to talk to you, know how you are, where you come from … and I had to leave the phone, leave social networks because they didn’t let me concentrate,” said the Cuban fighter.
Now his accounts in social networks are handled by another person and thus the fighter who began in sport playing baseball has time to prepare and demonstrate what is done. However, beyond that this fight means a lot to him and his status as a boxer, Scull considers that his greatest fight until now was to leave Cuba and leave his mother there. In Argentina he has a son and his life, for the moment, he lives it in Mallorca, Spain, where he hopes to buy a house from his mother with the money of the fight.
“We have never had the possibility of having our own house. I hope to give that greatest achievement to my mother, who has her own home and, well, I would like it to be here in Spain, that I live here,” said Scull.
With this fight the tapatío aspires to unify once again the supermedian titles. The Cuban seeks to surprise.
“I have had a long history as a boxer, and yes, I am an unknown boxer, but I have won everyone. I am world champion, I have a 23-0 page with 9 ko and I know how to do everything that the people who Canelo have won them could not have been able to have. That is what I offer to do,” said the Cuban fighter.
Scull is no longer a stranger and seeks to take the throne from the “King” Canelo.
