Could Canelo vs. Paul be the next pay-per-view clash? Rumors in the US media speculate about a clash on the weekend of “Cinco de Mayo” in New York.
Now that it has been confirmed that Canelo Alvarez will face Terence Crawford in September, the question remains: Who will the Mexican superstar fight in May? Reports are now circulating about a possible fight against Jake Paul.
The YouTuber had just celebrated a huge payday with a controversial points win over Mike Tyson. Now a duel against Canelo could add millions more to his bank account. According to rumours, the fight will be organized by Jake Paul’s MVP, Canelo Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and will take place in New York. Paul brought the Big Apple into play in a cryptic post on X.
It’s time
– Jake Paul (@jakepaul) February 3, 2025
Sat July 5th
New York, New York
Jake Paul has established himself as a self-proclaimed boxer by competing against prominent but uncompetitive opponents. His follower numbers on social networks guarantee high revenues, but his boxing is questionable in sporting terms. A duel with Canelo would be his biggest PR coup to date – but also his biggest challenge, which he can hardly overcome in the ring.
Canelo Alvarez: The call of the money
Canelo Alvarez is considered one of the best boxers in the world. His sporting successes are undisputed. A Canelo vs. Paul fight would inevitably not be a title fight, but a pure spectacle. Instead of taking on a real challenge in his weight class, such as IBF world champion William Scull, Canelo could take the easy way out – for a record sum.
Canelo vs. Paul: Not a real fight
The sporting value of this fight is close to zero. Canelo Alvarez has dominated the super middleweight division for years – Jake Paul is in a completely different league, if not a different world. The big question is not who will win, but at most how long the fight will last. Critics suspect that Canelo would have to deliberately drag out the fight to make it worthwhile for viewers to attend the show or invest in a pay-per-view ticket. DAZN commentator Ade Oladipo puts it in a nutshell: “Canelo can end this in one round.” On social media, fans are divided – many find this fight unworthy, others see the potential for a commercial mega-event.
Ariel Helwani and Ade Oladipo discuss the potential Canelo vs. Paul fight on Yahoo Sport.
Once the reputation is ruined…
A show fight between Canelo and Paul could bring both boxers absurdly high revenues in the millions. At the same time, Canelo’s image would be further damaged. After his defeat to Dmitry Bivol in 2022, he has avoided taking any real risks. Critics accuse the Mexican of only accepting fights that bring him maximum profit with minimum risk.
On the other hand, who can blame him? Canelo Alvarez is getting closer and closer to the end of his career. He is 34 and has been in the ring as a professional for 20 years. Canelo vs. Paul would not be a “real” boxing match, but a huge marketing project. Canelo’s legendary status would not change. Especially as his sporting highlight of the year has already been decided with the duel against Terence Crawford in September. However, it will be interesting to see whether the 35-year-old wants to take on any more serious sporting challenges after that.
Text: Andreas Ohlberger
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