In boxing, it’s easy to get caught up talking about the favorites and forget about the underdogs grinding it out. Sure, they might take a few lumps early on, but experience is the best teacher. Just look at Josh Padley. Back in February, he went toe-to-toe with Shakur Stevenson and walked away with a tough 9th-round TKO loss. Fast forward two months, and Padley was back in the ring, delivering a statement win. A 6th-round TKO over Marko Cvetanovic, dropping him twice in the 5th in front of a roaring crowd at Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Now, the same story might just be unfolding for Canelo Álvarez’s next challenger, William Scull. He’s the heavy underdog heading into this weekend’s bout. But the current IBF World Super Middleweight champion isn’t coming to just make up the numbers. With a spotless 23-0 record, Scull is stepping up to face Canelo’s monstrous 62-2, 39 KO resume at Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia. The odds may be stacked against him. And fans might already be licking their chops for Canelo vs. Crawford, but El Indomable has other plans.
Belts fade, legacy lasts: William Scull’s true mission
With only five days left until fight night, Fight Hub TV caught up with William Scull for an interview. And they asked the obvious. “What do you want to do if you win?”
With all the buzz about a potential Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford mega-fight in September, everyone’s wondering how William Scull fits into the picture. But the 32-year-old kept it real. He said, “Eventually you can’t decide or define something before it happen.”
He wasn’t getting ahead of himself or making any bold claims. Instead, he stayed humble. He admitted that if he does manage to pull off the upset against Canelo, it would be an amazing achievement for his career. “If I defeat Canelo in that fight, it’s just amazing,” the translator stated as Scull directed.
For William Scull, it’s not just about one win. It’s about building his own legacy, step by step, and making sure his name keeps growing in the boxing world. “I’m making my own legacy in the world, who I am trying to keep growing as a boxer and keep putting my name in the world,” he stated. No trash talk, no nothing. But just a guy focused on carving out his own place in the sport, one fight at a time.
That said, it’s been three years since William Scull last scored a knockout. The last being the 2nd-round KO over Deneb Diaz in November 2021. But even setting that aside, just going the full 12 rounds would be a huge learning experience — even if he ends up losing the fight. And once he’s done with this fight, it looks like he already has a potential next opponent lined up.
14 rounds await in William Scull’s next sparring challenge
A few days back, just before the Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. fight, IFL TV dropped an interesting clip on X. In the video, Ingo Volckmann (William Scull’s promoter) shared his thoughts about the sparring session between William Scull and Conor Benn.
Volckmann didn’t waste time clearing the air. He explained that the sparring was always planned to be just eight rounds. Nothing more, nothing less. “We said make 8 rounds. We said we make one-minute stop. Because it was our first sparring. He was already doing some sparring. We said 8 rounds, we made 8 rounds,” Volckmann said, laughing off the rumors that tried to paint William Scull in a bad light. He even took a little jab at Benn’s team. He hinted that maybe they should prove their skills in the actual ring rather than chirping about a sparring session.
BERLIN, GERMANY – AUGUST 28: William Scull of Cuba in action against Mathias Eklund of Finland during their Super Middleweight fight between Mathias Eklund and William Scull during the AGON Fight Night at Havelstudios on August 28, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Not stopping there, Volckmann talked up the Matanzas native’s training camp. “We got a good preparation,” he mentioned. Adding on, according to the promoter, William Scull had solid preparation with a lineup of different sparring partners to keep things sharp.
But things got spicy when Volckmann threw down a challenge. “Next time when you in Mallorca, come to our gym,” he said. And this time, “We make 14 rounds with him[Conor Benn].” For Volckmann, it’s about more than trading punches. It’s about “respect.” Respect for the sport and for each other, something he feels has been missing in the chatter lately.
Now, with that open invitation on the table, it makes you wonder — can we actually see William Scull vs. Conor Benn down the line? Or, considering Benn might be tied up with a potential rematch against Chris Eubank Jr., will Scull have to sit tight for his shot? What do you think — who’s next in line for William Scull after the Canelo fight?
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