Canelo Alvarez is reportedly set to face Jake Paul in what would be the pinnacle of crossover boxing in May, before meeting Terence Crawford for a Riyadh Season war in September.
Canelo Alvarez is coming off a string of wins that have garnered much criticism. Since losing to Dmitry Bivol, fans have questioned the calibre of some of Canelo’s picks for opposition – including Edgar Berlanga, Jermell Charlo, and a past-his-prime Gennadiy Golovkin. This comes as fans implore the Mexican superstar to face a real challenge in David Benavidez, though it seems Canelo has no intention of entertaining this fight at this point in his career.
It had recently been revealed by Canelo’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, that the two opponents Canelo was looking at for May were Christian Mbilli and William Scull. Mbilli has since signed to face Kevin Lele Sadjo, and Scull, though an IBF world champion and route to Canelo becoming undisputed once more, is not a huge draw to both casual or hardcore viewers of the sport.
Jake Paul, meanwhile, amassed 65 million concurrent viewers in his clash with Mike Tyson, in what was Netflix’s first foray into live boxing. ‘The Problem Child’ Paul has consistently proven himself to be a compelling marketer and is more than happy to play the heel in any fight he finds himself in.
Paul has beaten the likes of Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Mike Tyson, and Ben Askren.
Canelo vs Jake Paul in May
With limited options, and in the closing chapters of his career, it seems Canelo may be entertaining the big money fight with Paul, as boxing journalist Julius Julianis posts:
‘BREAKING NEWS There is already an agreement for Jake Paul to be Canelo Álvarez’s rival in May of this year, a source very close to the operation informs me.
The event will be co-promoted by CaneloPromotions&MVP&PBC’
Canelo holds an impressive record of 62-2-1, with his only two losses coming at the hands of Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. Paul on the other hand holds a record of 11-1, with his one loss coming at the hands of Tommy Fury.
It is clear that the calibre of each fighter is very different, though with Paul’s last fight being at heavyweight, there is a clear weight advantage to the YouTube sensation. This, however, is very unlikely to be enough.
That being said, many are likely to tune in to the fight regardless of how competitive or not it sounds, as many are keen to finally see the end of Jake Paul’s boxing reign.
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