Fighting outside of Mexico or America for the first time as a professional, Alvarez made his ring walk at the unusually early 06:20 local time to cater for audiences back home.

As he often does, Alvarez started slowly to feel out his opponent. He landed right and left hooks to the body in the second round and Scull sneaked an uppercut through Alvarez's guard in the third.

But Alvarez was unable to apply any real pressure and was being made to miss by 32-year-old Cuban Scull's movement.

Scull walked back to the corner smiling after the seventh, as if he felt he was on course for the upset.

With little action happening inside the ring, the cameras panned to a bored-looking Crawford at ringside.

"Let's fight, there's too much running around," British referee Kieran McCann told both fighters before the ninth.

Visibly annoyed with his opponent's approach, Alvarez shook his head as he walked back to his corner after the 10th.

Scull complained about low blows, most of which were legitimate punches, and Alvarez was warned for punching when his opponent had his back turned in the 11th.

The closer scorecards reflected how neither fighter asserted their dominance in the tedious contest.

"He came just to survive until the 12th round," Alvarez said after his 63rd career win.

"I hope September will be another kind of fight."

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