Jake Paul is riding high. Last weekend, he secured a unanimous decision victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Now, he’s setting his sights even higher. A world title remains in his crosshairs. But one matchup stands out in his mind as legacy-defining: a showdown with Canelo Alvarez. In January, talks about their potential fight surfaced. But the idea faded as quickly as it emerged. Reason? Canelo made it clear that he only fights ‘real fighters.’ He signed a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season and is now gearing up for a historic clash with Terence Crawford on September 13.
The development left a bitter taste in Jake Paul’s mouth, who blamed Canelo for ‘ducking’ him. Adding intrigue to the situation, Dana White announced his arrival into the boxing world. Months ago, White and Riyadh Season joined forces to establish a new boxing promotion. After weeks of suspense, it finally emerged that the venture, now officially named Zuffa Boxing, would take charge of the Canelo-Crawford fight. If asked about this undertaking, given his bitter difference with White, fans might expect Jake Paul to go on the offensive. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. Rather, in an interview, Paul struck an unusually diplomatic tone.
Ahead of the Chávez Jr. fight, Jake appeared on the ‘Jaxxon Podcast’ alongside Rampage Jackson and Bear Degidio. Halfway through the episode, Degidio posed a pointed question: “We heard that UFC is getting involved with Zuffa Boxing; they just put a card together, Canelo versus Bud. How do you think they’re going to do as a boxing promotion?” It was a fair question, especially considering the potential overlap or rivalry with Paul’s own growing presence in boxing.
Madison Square Garden NEW YORK CITY, NY – FEBRUARY 2: Jake Paul interacts with media during the Amanda Serrano v Katie Taylor press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Madison Square Garden on February 2, 2022 in New York City, New York, United States. Photo by Matt Davies/PxImages Matt Davies/SPP-Px Amanda Serrano v Katie Taylor: Press Conference PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRA
“Oh no,” Paul replied unhesitatingly. He added. “I hope they do the best as possible there. There’s so much room in this sport for everyone to grow, right? I can build my skyscraper as high as I want without touching anyone else’s skyscraper.”
For Jake Paul, there’s something more important. First, “At the end of the day, um, I, I really don’t care,” he clarified before concluding, “They could do great. I hope they do great. It builds the sport of boxing.” And in his eyes, there’s a benefit to that. If the Canelo-Crawford fight exceeds expectations, both commercially and in terms of legacy, it could increase the likelihood of a future Paul-Canelo clash!
Surprised? You shouldn’t be entirely. This isn’t the first time Jake Paul has offered praise, albeit cautiously, toward Dana White’s boxing project.
Jake Paul on Dana White’s boxing move: Let the good times roll
Weeks ago, before Dana White took charge of the Canelo-Crawford fight, reports suggested that a different promoter would be handling the showdown. So Ariel Helwani asked Paul for his thoughts on the Canelo-Crawford fight and its changing promotional picture. “So the next fight for Canelo is this Crawford fight, but now we’re trying to figure out what’s going on with who’s promoting it. Turki tweeted that Sela is now promoting it and the date changed. So what do you make of what’s happening here? Do you have any sort of insight into it?”
UFC CEO DANA WHITE with post event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on the 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0002
Initially confused, he asked, “Is Dana still involved?” But once clued in, he gave credit where it was due: “Because I think it’s—I mean, if he is, it’s the biggest W on his part. He’s not putting up any money. He’s the promoter. He’s involved, getting a percentage of the cuts. His name is attached to it—all this stuff. So if that’s the case, it’s pretty crazy. A big win for Dana.”
For longtime fans, it’s a surprising shift. Jake Paul once made headlines relentlessly criticizing Dana White, especially over fighter pay. White, in turn, never held back his jabs either. But now, personal jabs are taking a backseat to the bigger picture: the business of boxing.
What do you think? Could a Canelo vs. Jake Paul bout actually materialize one day, just as Jake believes?
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