Jake Paul reportedly had a pointed message for Canelo Alvarez on the night they were originally scheduled for a potential super-fight.
The well-known celebrity boxing personality was apparently close to finalizing a deal to step into the ring with Alvarez in Las Vegas this past Saturday. However, reports suggest that this plan was altered significantly when Turki Alalshikh presented Alvarez with a multi-fight agreement, reportedly including a major bout against Terence Crawford.
Prior to any potential matchup with Crawford, the undisputed super-middleweight champion was obligated to fulfill a mandatory title defense against William Scull in Riyadh. That particular contest reportedly went down as a record-breaker for its lack of action, featuring the fewest punches ever thrown in a 12-round fight.
Jake Paul`s Reaction to the Canelo vs. Scull Bout
The mandatory defense between Canelo Alvarez and William Scull reportedly set a new benchmark, but for inactivity rather than excitement. The two fighters reportedly combined to throw the lowest number of punches in the history of 12-round boxing matches. This fight marked the beginning of Alvarez`s new lucrative four-fight deal.
Reports indicated that Scull appeared primarily focused on avoiding damage over the twelve rounds, offering very little offense. This defensive approach reportedly frustrated Alvarez, who also struggled to land significant blows in the extremely slow-paced encounter.
Aware that he could have been the opponent on this specific date, Jake Paul reportedly watched the event keenly. He shared his concise reaction with his 4.7 million followers on Twitter, simply labeling the fight as “embarrassing.”
The Proposed Jake Paul vs. Canelo Fight
The notion of a fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez wasn`t just speculation a few months ago; reports suggested the two sides were nearing an agreement to fight on the very Saturday that Alvarez ultimately faced Scull, with Las Vegas intended as the venue.
Paul was reportedly prepared to move down to the cruiserweight division, while Alvarez would have competed at his heaviest professional weight to enhance the intrigue of the matchup. Netflix was reportedly positioned to stream the event, following the substantial success of Paul`s recent exhibition bout against Mike Tyson.
The Paul vs. Tyson event reportedly generated over 120 million viewers across more than 60 million households, proving to be a massive hit for the streaming platform. However, Turki Alalshikh`s late intervention with the extensive four-fight package reportedly secured Alvarez significant future earnings, leading to a change in his immediate plans.
As a result, Paul has reportedly pivoted to facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Alvarez is currently scheduled to fight Terence Crawford in September and reportedly has two additional dates planned in Saudi Arabia next year under his new deal.