YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul continues his search for his next opponent after unsuccessful attempts to land fights with some of the sport’s biggest names. His most recent appearance in the ring, a blockbuster bout with Mike Tyson, was a massive commercial success—raking in over $18 million in gate revenue and drawing more than 100 million live viewers on Netflix.
Even though the fight itself lacked the sort of excitement the build-up had promised, ‘The Problem Child’ hoped to aim for the stars in his next matchup. One of his targets to make that happen was none other than future Boxing Hall of Famer and the current unified super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Earlier this year, reports emerged suggesting that Canelo Alvarez was in advanced talks with ‘El Gallo’ to arrange a boxing match between the pair. The boxing world was flabbergasted by the development, as it seemed like Paul was about to deliver on his promise. However, reality hit the 28-year-old like a truck.
Credits: Imago
Reports started coming in soon afterward, confirming that Canelo had ditched Jake Paul to sign a lucrative four-fight deal with the architect of the Riyadh Season, Turki Alalshikh. This deal will see Canelo fight IBF super-middleweight champion William Scull on May 2 in a bid to acquire the IBF strap in an undisputed matchup.
After that, Canelo will participate in the much-hyped clash against Terence Crawford, which fans have been asking for some time. Still, it became evident that Canelo had strung Jake Paul along, a move that left most boxing purists thrilled. The real question, though, is whether that fight with Paul was ever truly possible. Canelo recently weighed in with a blunt three-word verdict.
Canelo Alvarez avoids committing a ‘hate crime’ against Jake Paul
Of late, the Mexican superstar appeared in an interview with DAZN Boxing, where he sat down with Large from Barstool Sports. The host pressed ‘Cinnamon’ about the incident when he fooled Paul into thinking he was ready to sign a fight deal. Canelo calmly claimed, “You need to play your cards.”
Large, who was relieved that Canelo didn’t end up fighting Jake Paul, branded the potential fight a ‘hate crime’ against Paul, as Canelo noted, “I [would] not even call [it] a fight. It’s an event for me.” However, Canelo didn’t entirely shut the door on a potential fight in the future. With just three words, he stated it’s “not the moment.”
That said, while Canelo Alvarez doesn’t plan on fighting Jake Paul anytime soon, a bout between them isn’t entirely off the table. Perhaps they could settle their differences in an exhibition match after Canelo’s retirement. Would you tune in to watch that?
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