Not sure how some of the fans are going to take it. Many appear to have pinned their hopes. Some stretched their imagination. With the advent of the new year, hopes were renewed. Thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh‘s efforts, a fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford has seemingly appeared on the horizon. For the record, nothing has been finalized.

The much-anticipated showdown still meanders in the ‘talks’ landscape. Reports suggest that if it materializes, then in all probability, the Canelo-Crawford fight could still take place in September. So what happens in May? As most followers are aware, it’s been some time since the super middleweight king has followed the two-fight-a-year routine – one around the Cinco de Mayo and the other coinciding with the weekend of the Mexican Independence Day. If not Crawford, then will Alvarez give David Benavidez, who is meeting David Morrell this weekend, the much-needed chance? Not likely, it appears. If one goes by Alvarez’s long trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, two alternates have emerged.

Canelo Alvarez vs.?: Eddy Reynoso has some news, folks!

Citing Box Azteca as the source, “SCULL OR MBILLI FOR CANELO IN MAY?” read @EverythingBoxing’s tweet. The message on Box Azteca’s official Twitter handle read: “Eddy Reynoso revealed the two possible opponents for ‘Canelo’ in May. These are crucial days to finalize the fight!” According to the award-winning trainer, it could be either the IBF super middleweight champion William Scull or WBA and WBC’s number one-ranked contender, Christian M’billi before the eventual fight with Crawford in September. Now wait a second! That doesn’t make sense.

Isn’t the Scull matchup old news? Early this month, news reports revealed how Canelo Alvarez and his team had reportedly reached out to the Cuba-born, German champion. Offering a clear explanation, eminent boxing journalist Jake Donovan shared, “I have good & bad news on Canelo-William Scull talks…. Yes, Scull’s team has been contacted. Scull is one of SEVERAL options being explored (and not necessarily first or even second choice).”

M’billi’s stakes to the claim appear understandable. He is the topmost-ranking fighter in the WBC roster. He holds a similar position in WBA, right after the interim champion Caleb Plant. But it’s William Scull’s name that might have intrigued a few. After all, wasn’t it because of Scull’s mandatory status that Canelo Alvarez was stripped of the IBF title, shifting him from undisputed to unified champion?

The Champion and the Contender

The whole scenario involving both Scull and M’billi may appear quite gripping. Reportedly, the Cuban-German super middleweight has called out Edgar Berlanga, who suffered a career-first defeat to Canelo Alvarez last September.

But then Scull might as well end up facing Christian M’billi. The Cameroonian-French fighter who raised several eyebrows with his convincing victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko last year has received marching orders from the IBF to face fourth-ranked contender and European champion Kevin Lele Sadjo for a title eliminator. The winner of the bout could face William Scull.

A Ring Magazine report suggested that M’billi and Sadjo received a two-week extension (January 2) to reach an agreement and avoid the fight moving to purse bids. M’billi was also paired with Jaime Munguia for the WBC mandatory challenge. However, equations changed following the Mexican fighter’s upset loss to Bruno Surace on December 14.

Organizers hope to make the M’billi-Sadjo showdown at either Quebec, Canada, or Paris, France, by April-May. William Scull’s mandatory defense could run its course by April 19. Afterward, he must face IBF number 2, Vladimir Shishkin, by August.

So will Scull and his team race to face Alvarez? A logical stream of thought suggests Scull could be the choice. The Mexican superstar might want to regain his undisputed status before facing Crawford for their epic showdown.

What about you? Who do you think Team Canelo would eventually zero in on?