Canelo Alvarez, one of boxing’s most prominent figures, will be stripped of his IBF super middleweight title ahead of his highly anticipated September 14 bout against Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas, sources have revealed. This development comes as Alvarez’s mandatory title defense against IBF number one contender William Scull remains overdue.
Despite this setback, Alvarez will continue to defend his remaining WBA, WBC, and WBO 168-pound titles against Berlanga. The IBF is expected to order a fight for the now-vacant title between Scull and the number two contender, Vladimir Shiskin.
“Once we officially notify the parties involved, we will issue a statement,” IBF president Daryl Peoples informed ESPN on Thursday.
Alvarez, who boasts a record of 61-2-2 with 39 knockouts, secured the undisputed super middleweight championship in November 2021 by defeating Caleb Plant via an 11th-round TKO. Since then, the 34-year-old Mexican star has successfully defended all four of his 168-pound belts on four occasions. His most recent victory came in May when he outpointed Jaime Munguia.
Currently ranked as ESPN’s number five pound-for-pound boxer, Alvarez remains a formidable force in the ring. His opponent, Edgar Berlanga, enters this fight with an undefeated record of 22-0, including 17 knockouts. The 27-year-old Brooklyn native is ranked sixth in the super middleweight division by ESPN and will be competing for his first world title.
Meanwhile, William Scull, who holds a record of 22-0 with nine knockouts, has yet to compete at the world-class level. The 32-year-old German-based fighter is coming off an eight-round decision win over Sean Hemphill in May, which took place on the undercard of the Alvarez-Munguia fight.
Vladimir Shiskin, another undefeated contender with a record of 16-0 and 10 knockouts, recently scored a seventh-round TKO victory over Mike Guy in March. The 32-year-old Russian, who now fights out of South Florida, secured his most significant career win by defeating former champion Jose Uzcategui in December 2022.
Despite neither Scull nor Shiskin being ranked by ESPN in the super middleweight division, Shiskin’s promoter, Dmitry Salita, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming opportunity. “Vladimir has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I am thrilled that he is finally getting the chance to shine,” Salita told ESPN. “As a promoter, it is rewarding to see someone progress to world champion status, especially after witnessing his growth from the early stages of his career.”
Alvarez’s situation echoes a recent precedent set by the IBF, which stripped Oleksandr Usyk of his IBF heavyweight title after his victory over Tyson Fury in May. This trend highlights the rigorous enforcement of mandatory defenses by the IBF, even for boxing’s biggest stars.
