Sep 17, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Canelo Alvarez (red trunks) and Gennadiy Golovkin (white trunks) box during a super middleweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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Another Twist For Canelo Alvarez As Turki AlalShikh Swoops Saul Alvarez For Riyadh Season!

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jake Paul faces shocking new setback. Will this major twist derail the highly anticipated showdown?

The boxing world just witnessed another classic case of the fight game’s unpredictable nature. Jake Paul, the YouTube sensation turned boxer who’s been chasing legacy-defining fights, seemed closer than ever to landing his dream matchup with Canelo Alvarez.

The bout was reportedly in deep negotiations for a Cinco de Mayo weekend spectacular in Las Vegas. This date that carries special significance in boxing, especially for Mexican fighters like Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. But while Paul’s team was busy planning what could have been the biggest crossover fight since Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, the Mexican boxer had other plans cooking.

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The Saudi Deal

In a move that shocked everyone, the unified super middleweight champion signed a massive four-fight deal with Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia. This effectively slammed the door on the Paul fight – at least for now.

Don’t mess with the lion 🦁… 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … The Deal is done 🥊 … A Lion 🦁 doesn’t lose sleep over opinion of a sheep 🐑… Fear the lion 🦁 not the jungle 🤷🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/OJTaapvPfU
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) February 7, 2025

Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced the deal without revealing the financial terms. But when Saudi Arabia comes calling with a multi-fight deal, the numbers probably are enough to buy a couple islands with! The deal includes four fights, with the first happening this May in Saudi Arabia. And given Alalshikh’s propensity to make superfights, fans may be looking at two champions sharing the ring soon!

Terence Crawford Super-Fight

Instead of facing Paul, Canelo Alvarez’s path now leads to what could be a genuine super-fight with Terence Crawford in September. Now that’s a fight that gets boxing fans drooling! Crawford, undefeated at 41-0 and currently the unified welterweight champion, would move up in weight to challenge Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in September, as per reports.

MVP’s Response

Most Valuable Promotions, Jake Paul’s promotion company, didn’t take the news lying down. They fired off a spicy statement expressing their disappointment and taking shots at boxing’s politics.

“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. MVP operates with integrity, transparency, and respect for the sports, its athletes, and the fans. Unfortunately, not everyone in the boxing world shares those values.”

Official statement from MVP regarding Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez. pic.twitter.com/wSgHiKJ4Ia
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) February 7, 2025

MVP also said it will continue to schedule meaningful fights for Paul. They revealed that they were in active discussions with several high profile opponents for Jake Paul’s next fight.

This whole situation perfectly captures the current state of boxing. On one side is Jake Paul, fresh off breaking streaming records with his Mike Tyson fight on Netflix (65 million concurrent viewers!). On the other is got Canelo Alvarez, arguably the sport’s biggest star, being wooed by Saudi Arabia’s seemingly endless checkbook.

The fact that Paul (11-1) even got close to negotiating with someone of Canelo’s caliber (62-2-2) shows just how much the boxing landscape has changed. While fans might miss out on this particular spectacle, they are getting something potentially more exciting : a proper champion vs champion showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford!

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Canelo Alvarez

Jake Paul

Terence Crawford

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!