Jake Paul vs Canelo Alvarez has not happened yet, and it may never happen, but their fight outside the ring is pretty entertaining.
The YouTuber turned boxer was deep in negotiations for a Cinco De Mayo blockbuster against the fight game’s PPV cash cow – until he wasn’t.
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On Friday we got the news that their much-anticipated showdown will not happen, namely because Mexican megastar ‘Canelo’ is now headed in a very different direction. Instead he has signed a four-year deal with the deep pockets of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season – headed up by that man Turki Alalshikh.
So while ‘Canelo’ will now move on to expected blockbusters against the likes of Terence Crawford and David Benavidez, ‘The Problem Child’ is left to sift through the wreckage and ponder how it all fell apart.
The war of words since Canelo’s announcement has been raging, and now we have a fresh twist with Jake’s MVP Promotions releasing an official statement about what went down.
Jake Paul on Canelo – MVP releases statement
The statement read as follows:
“MVP was deep in negotiations for a blockbuster fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, a massive event for
the Mexican, Puerto Rican and American fans, and it’s disappointing to see how the situation unfolded.
“MVP operates with integrity, transparency, and respect for the sport, its athletes, and the fans. Unfortunately, not everyone in the boxing world shares those values.
“This situation is a reminder not to believe everything you read, especially when the current media environment is often controlled by those with hidden agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll.
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“We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share our values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters.
“Jake Paul isn’t going anywhere, and neither is MVP. We’ll continue to disrupt boxing, on our terms.”
Canelo’s Saudi deal, what does it mean?
The new Canelo deal means he will likely face Crawford in September (‘Bud’ will need to add on bulk to move up from light-middleweight to super-middle), but before that is likely to have a tune-up fight in May. After that he would have fights in February and October of 2026.
As for Jake, we await his next move, but as ever it will be box office. He’s riding high right now after he and former heavyweight king Mike Tyson broke all known TV boxing records with their incredible show on Netflix in Dallas last November.
