Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has been granted an additional week to negotiate terms for his mandatory title defense against William Scull. The purse bid for the fight, originally set for June 6, has been postponed to June 13, giving both camps more time to reach an agreement.
The delay was confirmed by an official letter from IBF president Daryl Peoples, which was shared with all registered promoters. "The purse bid for the Saul Alvarez vs. William Scull fight scheduled for Thursday, June 6, has been postponed for one week," Peoples announced. "The new date is Thursday, June 13, 2023, at 12:00 EST." The fight was ordered on May 13, but negotiations quickly hit a standstill, prompting AGON Sports & Events, Scull’s promoter, to request an immediate purse bid.
It's unclear whether this extension will be used for further negotiations or if Alvarez's team is simply buying time. According to IBF regulations, once a fight is ordered, neither party can commit to another bout. Contenders who refuse to proceed are demoted below the top ten and cannot compete in IBF-sanctioned events for at least six months. The consequences are even more severe for defending champions, who risk losing their title recognition.
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs), the reigning Ring champion at 168 pounds, has not yet made a mandatory defense for either his WBA or IBF titles. He initially became mandatory for the WBA title by defeating Callum Smith in December 2020. Subsequently, Caleb Plant defended his IBF title in January 2021 against Caleb Truax before losing it to Alvarez in an eleventh-round knockout in November 2021.
Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) of Brooklyn was named the WBA mandatory challenger in April, and there were speculations that he might be next in line for Alvarez’s title, especially after Alvarez's victory over Jaime Munguia in May. However, the IBF's actions and the lack of movement from the WBA have clarified the mandatory rotation.
Alvarez has successfully defended his titles more than any other male undisputed champion in the four-belt era, with four defenses under his belt. This is largely due to the sanctioning bodies' leniency in enforcing their rules with him.
William Scull (22-0, 9 KOs) earned his mandatory challenger status with a decisive win over Evgeny Shvedenko in July 2022. The Cuban-born fighter, now based in Berlin, has fought three times since, with his most recent victory coming in an eight-round bout against Sean Hemphill in May at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
According to IBF Rule 10.E, the purse bid winner will allocate 65% of the total bid to Alvarez as the defending champion, while Scull will receive the remaining 35%.