Canelo Alvarez wins undisputed title in listless performance, gets superfight with Bud Crawford at inaugural TKO boxing event

It wasn’t pretty, but Canelo Alvarez did what he needed to do.

On Saturday, Alvarez put his WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles on the line in a unification bout with IBF champion William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight title at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout was the last step in the path of setting up a superfight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford for the undisputed title, and though it was far from a thrilling affair, Alvarez did his part, winning a clear decision to become the undisputed champion.

For fans hoping for a vintage Canelo performance, that wasn’t in the cards as Scull did his best to limit the power-punching of Alvarez, who was content to edge out rounds on the back of forward pressure and body work. Scull never adjusted, and in the end, Alvarez won a lifeless decision with scores of 115-113, 116-112, 119-109.

But it doesn’t matter how it happened, just that it happened, because immediately after the fight, Turki Alalshikh brought out former undisputed light welterweight and welterweight champion Bud Crawford, revealing that the long-rumored bout between Alvarez and Crawford was official for Sep. 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Alalshikh later announced the card will serve as the inaugural event for UFC CEO Dana White’s TKO Boxing.

Crawford is coming up from 154 pounds to face Canelo at 168. He last fought in August, winning the WBA light middleweight title from Israil Madrimov via unanimous decision.