Canelo Alvarez is now set to fight for a chance to regain his undisputed super-middleweight titles in May.
A huge saga has surrounded the Mexican this week, with reports first indicating that his mega-fight with Terence Crawford was complete.
It was then claimed that the pound-for-pound superstar would no longer face ‘Bud’, and was instead pursuing a deal to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on ‘Cinco De Mayo’ weekend.
But Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh intervened to stop the fight from happening, and a deal collapsed.
Alvarez instead inked a four-fight deal with Alalshikh, which includes a bout in May before his showdown with Crawford in September which had been revived.
Jermall Charlo and Bruno Sarace were lined up as two potential rivals for the May bout, which is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia.
But it has now emerged that Alvarez, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO belts, will instead face current IBF world super-middleweight champion William Scull in his return.
Scull was recently crowned the IBF king after Alvarez vacated the belt, which saw him fight and beat Vladimir Shiskhin in October.
Alvarez previously elected not to take on the undefeated Cuban, to focus on potential bigger names and vacated his title.
But now he will take on his fellow 168lbs champion for a chance to become a two-time undisputed king of the division.
Alalshikh announced the news on social media, writing: “The legend Saul Alvarez Canelo will fight William Scull in undisputed fight in Riyadh on the 3rd of May.
“If he wins the fight in September, it will see him be undisputed again.”
It comes as a huge boost for Crawford who will now receive the stunning opportunity to become a five-weight world champion, but with all four belts under his wing.
The huge commercial showdown in September will now have higher stakes than ever, with big plans for the pair to do battle.
It is already expected to break records with the pair to clash in front of thousands of spectators in the first ever boxing event at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The $2billion venue will play host to a spectacular fight between two modern-era greats, which may have been missed if he elected to face Paul.
Although his first bout with Scull may not light the touch paper for fans, the promise of the future bout will be a likely draw, with the IBF champion seen as a huge underdog.
And if it isn’t Scull who downs the Mexican, Crawford believes his skillset will see him have his hand raised and halt the recent winning streak of the superstar.
He said: “Man, we’re going to see come fight time what my advantage is.
“I’m the type of guy who likes to feel my fighters out and adjust to what they’re doing.
“I think that’s my greatest attribute, to be able to figure out every opponent I’ve faced thus far.
“I’m looking to do the same come fight time when the Canelo fight happens…
“People say, ‘You’re too small’ or ‘You’re outmatched’ or ‘You don’t belong in the ring with these types of fighters.’
“That’s when great fighters perform their best.
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“I’m going to feel great [at 168lbs]. I don’t need to worry about the weight. I know I’m going to feel great.
“I’ve got a lot of things to prepare on. That’s part of boxing – [meeting] milestones you’ve got to hit.”