Canelo Alvarez is set to be stripped of his IBF super middleweight title ahead of his upcoming fight against Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas. This decision comes as Alvarez's mandatory title defense against the IBF's top contender, William Scull, has been overdue. Despite losing the IBF title, Alvarez will still defend his WBA, WBC, and WBO 168-pound titles against Berlanga. The IBF is planning to order a vacant title fight between Scull and the No. 2 contender, Vladimir Shiskin.
Alvarez, a 34-year-old Mexican boxer with a record of 61-2-2 and 39 knockouts, became the undisputed super middleweight champion in November 2021 by defeating Caleb Plant. He has successfully defended all four 168-pound belts in four subsequent fights. Alvarez, ranked as ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer, most recently defeated Jaime Munguia in May.
