Canelo vs William Scull will top a stacked show in Saudi on Saturday, May 3.
The Riyadh Season continues on the 2025 Cinco de Mayo weekend with the undisputed super-middleweight showdown between the unified WBC, WBA, WBO, Ring Magazine champion, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) and the undefeated IBF titlist William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs).
The full line-up has now been announced, including another world championship contest, plus a tantalising heavyweight match-up between two world-ranked warriors.
Jaime Munguia vs Bruno Surace
After their dramatic first fight last December, this highly-anticipated rematch is guaranteed to produce fireworks.
In his first ever fight outside of France, unbeaten Marseille man Bruno Surace (26-0-2, 5 KOs) stunned the Mexican in front of his home crowd in Tijuana with a stunning sixth-round stoppage.
Former world champion Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs) was rebuilding from his loss to the headliner, Canelo, which was going well when he dropped the Frenchman wih a big left hook in the second stanza. Then, disaster struck in the sixth, when Munguia stepped to his right and lingered for too long which allowed Surace to land a huge single right hook to the chin, which dropped the 28-year-old, who bravely made it back to his feet, but was unable to continue safely.
Up to that point, Surace had won a French and a European Silver middleweight title, but had never fought at world level before, so it was a huge upset when he won.
Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba
Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) and Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) will still clash in an IBF World title eliminator, despite Bakole getting knocked out by Joseph Parker in his last fight.
After the IBF World heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois fell ill on fight week, Martin Bakole immediately answered the call and travelled 3,700 miles to fill in and fight Joseph Parker on just a couple of days notice. Weighing over 300lbs, the Congolese combatant received a grazing shot around the top of his head in round two that took his legs away from him and couldn’t continue.
30 from Nigeria, Efe Ajagba is ranked IBF #3, and has won five in a row since his sole loss to then-unbeaten Cuban Frank Sanchez in 2021.
In his most recent fight, he defeated Italian Guido Vianello via split decision to claim the WBC Silver heavyweight title.
Although he trains in Scotland with Billy Nelson, Bakole is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, making this match with Nigerian Ajagba an all-African affair.
Badou Jack vs Ryan Rozicki
Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) defends his WBC World cruiserweight title to Canadian challenger Ryan Rozicki (20-1-1, 19 KOs) in the other world championship bout on the bill.
Jack ‘The Ripper’ won the green and gold crown from the aforementioned Martin Bakole’s brother Junior Makabu in February 2023.
The Swedish three-weight world champion attempted to conquer a fourth division at bridgerweight, but the opportunity never came to fruition for Jack, so he was named champion-in-recess.
Whilst this occurred, Noel Mikaeljan KO’d Junior Makabu for the vacant belt Jack had given up. Since then the cruiserweight class has become very confusing, so this fight will be hugely important and effective in clearing up all the complications.
Ryan ‘The Bruiser’ Rozicki is the WBC #1 and Noel Mikaeljan is now the champion-in-recess, so the winner of this close clash will have no shortage of contenders lined up next.
Marco Verde vs Michel Galvan Polina
Mexican debutant Marco Verde will face fellow countryman Michel Galvan Polina (4-5-3, 2 KOs).
Brayan Leon vs Aaron Rocha Guerrero
Undefeated, hard-hitting Cuban Brayan Leon (6-0, 6 KOs) faces his toughest opponent yet in Aaron Rocha Guerrero (11-3-1, KOs).
