Boxing fans know the drill by now—Canelo Álvarez picks his next opponent, and the internet erupts with debates, hot takes, and, of course, a few fighters feeling snubbed. It’s like a Hollywood casting call where not everyone gets the role they think they deserve. But this time? Let’s just say not everyone is thrilled about the matchup. Alvarez is gearing up for his first bout of the four-fight deal he signed with the Riyadh against the IBF super-middleweight champion William Scull. 

Now, call it a warm-up bout ahead of the highly anticipated fight against Terence Crawford in September this year or anything else, but one thing’s for sure: the super middleweight king is in the mood to become the undisputed champion once again. The issue? Well, not everyone’s liking the way he’s going about it. The fighters don’t even know who Scull is. Take the ex-WBO champ, Janibek Alimkhanuly, for instance.

You see, On Thursday, Alimkhanuly took to his official ‘X’ handle and tweeted, “I don’t know who Canelo’s opponent is, but I have two titles. Why doesn’t he want to fight me?” Now, this tweet brings out a couple of conclusions. First, Canelo’s choice of opponents. And second, Alimkhanuly’s desire to step into the ring with the Mexican star. Let’s start with Alvarez’s choice of opponents.

It was May 2022 when Alvarez moved to light heavyweight (175 lbs) and was gearing up to claim Dmitry Bivol’s WBA (Super) light heavyweight title. And guess what? The Mexican pro boxer got a reality check as Bivol, with an excellent size and footwork, turned out to be too much for him.

Fast forward to now and Canelo has been tagged for being selective with his opponents. For instance, after losing to Bivol, he fought Gennady Golovkin in a trilogy bout. Of course, that seemed unnecessary, considering he has already defeated GGG in their previous fights. And how can we forget David Benavidez?

Frankly, Canelo has avoided facing him like Joey Tribbiani avoids sharing food. Most notably? According to David Benavidez’s team’s claims, he recently turned down $70M offer to fight Benavidez. One of the reasons why Alimkhanuly is frustrated over why does Canelo not want to fight him? Because let’s be real—Alimkhanuly isn’t just sitting and waiting for his phone to ring.

The guy’s been making waves in middleweight division, holding both WBO and IBF titles. Sadly, Canelo isn’t interested in fighting him. Instead, the guy’s ready to take down William Scull.

Canelo Álvarez vs. you probably know who

Here’s the deal: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine super-middleweight titles are on the line. The catch? Well, William Scull is the current IBF super-middleweight champion. That said, Canelo is now gearing up for a bout against Scull on May 3, 2025 in an attempt to reclaim the crown of the undisputed champion.

But let’s be real—many fans believe Scull doesn’t stand a chance against Canelo. That seems likely, looking at his 23-0 record in comparison to Canelo Álvarez’s 62-2-2 record. The betting odds? Absolutely ridiculous. Álvarez is sitting at whopping -3000 favorite, while Scull is way behind at +1300. A clear indication that Canelo is the only favorite for this bout.

Plus, the majority refers to the fight as a warmup for Canelo ahead of the real, intense face-off against Terence Crawford. Long story short: many think this fight is not worth the hype. I mean, the ex-WBO Champ, Janibek, admitted that he doesn’t know Canelo’s opponent. Adding on, on Thursday, when the boxing promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, was asked about the fight, the 52-year-old straight up admitted that he doesn’t have anything to say about it.

“Seriously cannot say anything about it. I don’t know who Scull is,” he exclaimed. Ouch! It seems not many know the guy. But at the end of the day, it’s certain that Canelo Álvarez is ready to face of William Scull in May 2025. And about his bout against the tougher opponents…well, guess we’ll never know.