Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has shown a consistent preference for charting his own course in his boxing career, often disregarding mandates from boxing organizations. The latest development involves the International Boxing Federation (IBF) designating William Scull as the mandatory challenger for Canelo’s super middleweight title. Despite this, Canelo has expressed indifference towards the IBF’s decision.

Canelo, who is currently preoccupied with promoting his VMC drink and participating in the “No Golf no Life” tournament at the Bosque Real club, remarked that he hasn’t paid much attention to the IBF’s mandate. He mentioned that his trainer, Eddy Reynoso, informed him about the situation but they haven’t discussed it in depth. Canelo’s stance is clear: he will decide his next opponent based on his interests, not on external pressure.

William Scull, the Cuban boxer ranked No. 1 by the IBF, has built his career in Argentina and Germany, maintaining an undefeated record with 22 wins, including 9 knockouts. Despite his impressive resume, Canelo has made it evident that he won’t be swayed by organizational demands.

Historically, the IBF has stripped boxers of their titles for not complying with mandatory defenses, as seen recently with Terence Crawford and previously with Canelo himself in 2019. Canelo’s last mandatory defense was set for August 2022 after he won the IBF super middleweight belt by defeating Caleb Plant in November 2021. However, due to his active schedule, the official mandate for the defense has only now been issued.

As the parties have 28 days to negotiate and reach an agreement, it remains uncertain whether Canelo will comply or face the risk of being stripped of his title. For now, Canelo seems more focused on his personal ventures and upcoming events rather than the IBF’s directive.