It has been a wild week in boxing news, especially regarding the next moves of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. First, reports emerged that Alvarez was to face Terence Crawford in a September mega-fight. Then, a second report emerged stating that Alvarez would first meet influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in May.
The Crawford fight reportedly collapsed shortly after news of Alvarez’s negotiations with Paul. Now, the not-yet-signed Paul fight has been scrapped entirely with the Crawford fight reportedly back on the table as part of a four-fight deal between Alvarez and Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season.
“Canelo in Riyadh in May,” Alalshikh said in a video posted on X. “The biggest fight in the history of boxing in September. Then two more fights in ’26. Don’t mess with the lion.”
The “biggest fight in the history of boxing” would seem to point to Alvarez vs. Crawford, a fight that Alalshikh has been trying to make for some time only to be previously rebuffed by Alvarez. The fight would not be the biggest in the history of boxing, but pitting two elite pound-for-pound fighters against each other would be big business, even with Crawford needing to jump two weight classes to meet unified champion Alvarez at super middleweight.
Paul has called out Alvarez for years, claiming he’s ready to take on the biggest challenges in the game despite all in-ring evidence suggesting otherwise. It was an ambitious idea to face Alvarez on the heels of an uninspiring and safe decision over a nearly 60-year-old Mike Tyson.
After potentially having been used as a pawn by Alvarez and his team in an effort to negotiate leverage with Alalshikh, Paul responded with his own post on X.
“Breaking news: Canelo Alvarez ducked me Jake Paul and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil,” the post reads. “It’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring. I’m the new face of boxing. You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved. When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is. 28 years old. Biggest fight in boxing history. My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in. All of you felines want to see me fail, but god has other plans. It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP.”
Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions also released a statement after news the deal had been pulled from the table.
“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,” the statement reads. “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. 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.”
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