Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are finalizing a deal for a cruiserweight fight in Las Vegas on May 3rd.

[Greenbacks]

Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are in the process of finalizing a deal for a May 3 cruiserweight fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
In the wake of this new bout, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, is suspending efforts to finalize contracts for an Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford bout in September, sources said. Alalshikh had offered Alvarez a lucrative three-fight deal that would have started with the Crawford fight, sources said.
Instead, Alalshikh will look to make a fight between Crawford and IBF welterweight titleholder Jaron "Boots" Ennis later this year, according to sources.
The Alvarez-Paul fight would be contested at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, sources said, and was expected to be streamed on Netflix.
Alvarez, boxing's top star, is the unified champion at 168 pounds and is a former 175-pound champion. Paul, a social-media-star-turned-boxer, has yet to face a world-class boxer and is now prepared to do so at the highest level.
Paul, 28, is one of boxing's top attractions despite his novice skill level. His November matchup with 58-year-old Mike Tyson, a bout Paul won via eight-round decision, peaked at a staggering 64 million concurrent streams on Netflix.
That event was staged in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and produced an $18.1 million gate.
This development of a fight with Paul comes days after ESPN reported that Alvarez and Terence Crawford were finalizing a deal for a September bout at 168 pounds at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Mexico's Alvarez typically fights twice a year on Cinco de Mayo weekend and Mexican Independence Day weekend in September.
"When I'm done with boxing [at the top level)], why not?" Alvarez told the "Full Send Podcast" in November when asked about the possibility of fighting Paul. "Yes, maybe. I think it's good because it attracts fans who don't normally watch boxing. They know Jake Paul, but they don't know anything about boxing."

 

[PatsFan1283]

unreal to go from boxing a 60 year old to one of the best in the world

 

[Greenbacks]

Betonline
Canelo -2500
Paul +1100

 

[slapshot]

Lame

 

[slapshot]

It off

c’mon Bud in Sept

 

[Greenbacks]

Canelo nixes Paul fight, signs Riyadh deal; Crawford back on.​

Canelo Alvarez was slated to meet Jake Paul on May 3 in Las Vegas, with sources telling ESPN that a deal was being finalized and a formal announcement imminent. But in a stunning development, Alvarez changed course and instead completed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, on Thursday evening announced the deal with Alvarez, boxing's top star, effectively killing the novelty fight with Paul that was expected to land on Netflix. Now, Canelo will fight in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, for the first time.
Alvarez replied to Alalshikh's announcement on social media: "Let's go brother."
Alalshikh told Alvarez that if he proceeded with the planned fight with Paul, his lucrative, previously agreed-upon three-fight deal with Riyadh Season was off the table, sources said. Alvarez expressed that he didn't want to fight a YouTuber but that he needed a fight in May, according to sources.
Alvarez and Alalshikh quickly closed the deal and added a fourth fight, shocking the boxing world.
"Canelo only fights real fighters," Alalshikh told ESPN.
The first fight of the deal, sources said, will be staged on Sunday morning, May 4, to accommodate a prime-time U.S. broadcast Saturday night, May 3, on Cinco de Mayo weekend for Alvarez. Two opponents being considered are Jermall Charlo and Bruno Surace, sources said.
Charlo's twin brother, Jermell, was knocked down in a lopsided decision loss to Alvarez in September 2023. Surace scored a seventh-round KO of former champion Jaime Munguia in December in ESPN's Upset of the Year.
The May bout will serve as a tuneup for Alvarez's Sept. 13 megafight with Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. ESPN previously reported a deal was in place for Alvarez's 168-pound title defense against Crawford, the undefeated American who will move up two weight classes from 154 pounds.
Crawford, 37, is ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer.
"I'm waiting on Canelo in September and going to shock the world in Riyadh Season" Crawford posted on X in response to Alalshikh's announcement of Alvarez's deal.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), the former undisputed welterweight champion, scored a ninth-round TKO of Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023 in a career-best performance. He fought only once at 154 pounds, a title victory over Israil Madrimov in August in a Riyadh Season event in Los Angeles.
Alvarez, 34, is ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer and currently holds the WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles. A four-division champion, he defeated Munguia and Edgar Berlanga in 2024.
With Alvarez's 2025 schedule mapped out, his 2026 campaign is being planned, too.
The third fight of his deal is slated for February 2026 in Riyadh, and there are options on the table, sources said: a rematch with Dmitry Bivol to avenge one of two career defeats (the other came vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2023); Hamzah Sheeraz, who challenges Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title Feb. 22; and Chris Eubank Jr., the middleweight contender who is son of the British star boxer.
The fourth fight of the deal, sources said, is planned for October 2026 in Riyadh. Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) has never competed outside North America.
It appeared he would fight yet again in Las Vegas as he closed in on a deal to meet Paul, an 11-1 boxer who gained fame as a social-media-star-turned-boxer. Paul, 28, is one of boxing's top attractions despite his novice skill level. His November fight with the 58-year-old Mike Tyson, which Paul won via eight-round decision, peaked at a staggering 64 million concurrent streams on Netflix.
Netflix was slated to stream a second mega event involving Paul, this time against not just a legitimate boxer in his prime but one at the highest level of the sport. The Alvarez-Paul fight was set to be contested at 200 pounds and take place at T-Mobile Arena.
Earlier in the day, Alvarez's former promoter, Eddie Hearn, said there was a deal in place for Canelo to fight Paul. Paul cryptically posted on X that he is the "A-side in every fight I've been in and that's not changing for this one," alluding to the fight with Alvarez, the face of boxing.
Alvarez is the unified champion at 168 pounds and is a former 175-pound champion. He has surpassed one million pay-per-view buys several times, including twice during his legendary trilogy with Gennadiy Golovkin.

 

[Bozzie]

The undercard was great at the last event.

Paul gets hammered unless an agreement is made similar to the tyson agreement not to kick the living shit outa tiktok guy.

 

[PatsFan1283]

lol Tyson was drawing dead besides to the fish that bet him

That was free money for anyone with a clue

 

[PatsFan1283]

Saudis stepped in and Canelo/crawford is on

Easily biggest fight you could make

 

[Bozzie]

Benavidez vs Canelo, is the match that should have been made anything else is whatever.

 

[PatsFan1283]

Always tough to get aging guys to fight young up and comers, the risk/reward just isn’t there

No one knows who Benavidez is and Canelo wouldn’t get much credit for beating him, even being smaller guy

 

[Bozzie]

Always tough to get aging guys to fight young up and comers, the risk/reward just isn’t there

No one knows who Benavidez is and Canelo wouldn’t get much credit for beating him, even being smaller guy

style wise it'd be interesting....Benavidez a is bulldog. Canelo the tactician .

 

[Mr_Mark]

Hard to imagine this actually happening

 

[Bozzie]

Anything is better than an illegitimate fighter like Paul getting a huge platform.

Better for boxing with anyone but Paul

 

[Greenbacks]

Jake Paul rips 'money-hungry' Canelo Alvarez for nixing fight.​

Jake Paul fired back at Canelo Alvarez on Friday night, claiming that the four-division champion "ducked" a fight with him to sign a lucrative deal with Riyadh Season.
In a video posted to social media, Paul showed what he said was a contract signed by himself and Alvarez for a fight that the two sides were set to formally announce next week. Sources told ESPN's Mike Coppinger on Thursday that Alvarez and Paul were finalizing a deal to fight May 3 in Las Vegas.
But in a stunning development, Alvarez changed course hours later Thursday and instead completed a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, effectively killing the fight with Paul that was expected to land on Netflix.
"The truth is, you could be bought," Paul, addressing Alvarez, said in his video. "You're a money-hungry squirrel chasing your next nut. The truth is, these sports-washing, shady characters are paying you hundreds of millions of dollars to stop our fight from happening because they couldn't fathom the fact that they can't create a bigger fight than me and you."
Sources told ESPN that Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, told Alvarez that the deal with Riyadh Season -- which included a Sept. 13 megafight with former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford in Las Vegas -- would be off the table if he proceeded with the planned fight with Paul.
After Alvarez's deal with Riyadh Season was announced, Alalshikh told ESPN, "Canelo only fights real fighters," a not-so-subtle shot at Paul and the deal with Alvarez that fell through.
"Claiming he's not fighting YouTubers. Bulls---," Paul said in his video. "Claiming he's fighting real fighters, but he's fighting Crawford, a 135-pound fighter, and running from a real fighter like David Benavidez."
Crawford, ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter, began his career as a lightweight but recently made his 154-pound debut with a victory over Israil Madrimov in August.
Paul took one final shot in his video, challenging the notion that Alvarez is boxing's top star.
"You call me a YouTuber, but you've never had a boxing match as big as mine," Paul said. "I promise you one thing, Canelo. Any fight that you do this year, mine will be bigger."
Paul, 28, gained fame as a social-media-star-turned-boxer and has an 11-1 record. He is one of boxing's top attractions despite his novice skill level. His November fight with the 58-year-old Mike Tyson, which Paul won via eight-round decision, peaked at a staggering 64 million concurrent streams on Netflix.
Alvarez, 34, is the unified champion at 168 pounds and is a former 175-pound champion. He has surpassed one million pay-per-view buys several times, including twice during his legendary trilogy with Gennadiy Golovkin.