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Canelo Alvarez undercard receives huge boost as exciting heavyweight clash added to bill
The undercard for Canelo Alvarez’s upcoming clash with William Scull is shaping up nicely. Canelo will take on Scull in a four-belt shootout on May 3 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Canelo returns to action on May 3Ryan Hafey/PBC The Mexican superstar was stripped of the IBF super middleweight title in July after refusing to fight Scull, who was his mandatory at the time. Instead, Canelo opted to take on Edgar Berlanga in September while Scull was matched up against Vladimir Shishkin in a vacant IBF world title fight in October, which he won, albeit controversially, via unanimous decision. Now, Canelo is looking to retrieve the IBF belt and unify it with his other three major world titles (WBC, WBA and WBO) to become undisputed super middleweight champion once more. Providing he comes through the fight unscathed, he will then box Terence Crawford in a much-anticipated super fight in September. A press conference for his bout with Scull is being held in New York City on Thursday evening to announce the event. No fights have officially been added to the undercard just yet, although BOXXER chief Ben Shalom has informed Ring Magazine that Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba will be included on the bill. “It will be on the Canelo card [Bakole vs Ajagba],” said Shalom. “It just works better for everyone. Ajagba is the plan. “The key is to keep Martin active and to give him a camp this time. That’s the plan. “The hardest thing with Martin Bakole was getting people to know who Martin Bakole is. IBF super middleweight champion is Canelo’s next opponentGETTY GettyBakole got knocked out by Parker last time out[/caption] “I think he’s done that. Now he gets in camp, let’s see how good he is. “For me he’s still the most dangerous heavyweight in the whole division and will become world champion in the next 18 months.” Bakole had been ordered by the IBF to face Ajagba in a final eliminator to determine the mandatory for champion Daniel Dubois. However, the status has been stripped from the contest following Bakole’s knockout loss to Joseph Parker last month. Bakole stepped in to face Parker on two days’ notice after Dubois pulled out of their IBF world title fight with a viral infection. He was given the green light by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh while visiting family in Congo and jumped on a 3,800-mile flight the next day, which consisted of three separate trips. Bakole will box Ajagba in his first fight since the setbackGetty The first plane took him from Congo to Ethiopia, then to Dubai, before landing in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Saturday morning. Less than 24 hours later he stepped into the ring and was sent tumbling to the canvas in the second round by a clubbing blow that caught him on the top of the head. Bakole found his way back to his feet but his trainer Billy Nelson made the compassionate decision to throw in the towel. He now faces another stiff test in former Nigerian Olympian Ajagba, who enters the fight fresh off a career-best win over Guido Vianello in his last outing. The All-African showdown promises fireworks with both men carrying serious power in both hands. Follow talkBOXING on social media talkBOXING is now on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us on social media for big breaking boxing news, exclusive interviews and the best bits from our talkBOXING YouTube show. Like our Facebook page HERE Follow us on Twitter HERE Sign up for our WhatsApp channel HERE
The undercard for Canelo Alvarez’s upcoming clash with William Scull is shaping up nicely.
Canelo will take on Scull in a four-belt shootout on May 3 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Mexican superstar was stripped of the IBF super middleweight title in July after refusing to fight Scull, who was his mandatory at the time.
Instead, Canelo opted to take on Edgar Berlanga in September while Scull was matched up against Vladimir Shishkin in a vacant IBF world title fight in October, which he won, albeit controversially, via unanimous decision.
Now, Canelo is looking to retrieve the IBF belt and unify it with his other three major world titles (WBC, WBA and WBO) to become undisputed super middleweight champion once more.
Providing he comes through the fight unscathed, he will then box Terence Crawford in a much-anticipated super fight in September.
A press conference for his bout with Scull is being held in New York City on Thursday evening to announce the event.
No fights have officially been added to the undercard just yet, although BOXXER chief Ben Shalom has informed Ring Magazine that Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba will be included on the bill.
“It will be on the Canelo card [Bakole vs Ajagba],” said Shalom.
“It just works better for everyone. Ajagba is the plan.
“The key is to keep Martin active and to give him a camp this time. That’s the plan.
“The hardest thing with Martin Bakole was getting people to know who Martin Bakole is.
“I think he’s done that. Now he gets in camp, let’s see how good he is.
“For me he’s still the most dangerous heavyweight in the whole division and will become world champion in the next 18 months.”
Bakole had been ordered by the IBF to face Ajagba in a final eliminator to determine the mandatory for champion Daniel Dubois.
However, the status has been stripped from the contest following Bakole’s knockout loss to Joseph Parker last month.
Bakole stepped in to face Parker on two days’ notice after Dubois pulled out of their IBF world title fight with a viral infection.
He was given the green light by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh while visiting family in Congo and jumped on a 3,800-mile flight the next day, which consisted of three separate trips.
The first plane took him from Congo to Ethiopia, then to Dubai, before landing in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Less than 24 hours later he stepped into the ring and was sent tumbling to the canvas in the second round by a clubbing blow that caught him on the top of the head.
Bakole found his way back to his feet but his trainer Billy Nelson made the compassionate decision to throw in the towel.
He now faces another stiff test in former Nigerian Olympian Ajagba, who enters the fight fresh off a career-best win over Guido Vianello in his last outing.
The All-African showdown promises fireworks with both men carrying serious power in both hands.
