FILE PHOTO: Boxer Jake Paul attends a news conference, ahead of a sanctioned professional fight versus Mike Tyson which is set to take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 20, in New York City, U.S., May 13, 2024. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo
Jake Paul pulled no punches while blasting Canelo Alvarez on social media, claiming that the latter "ducked" a planned fight with him to sign a contract with Riyadh Season.
In a video posted to social media on Friday, Paul displayed what he said was a contract signed by both him and Alvarez for a fight that their representatives were set to formally announce next week.
Alvarez, however, opted to complete a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, and Riyadh Season on Thursday. That agreement effectively nixed the fight with Paul.
"The truth is, you could be bought," Paul said on social media in his address to Alvarez. "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."
Ring Magazine reported Alvarez is expected to take on Terence Crawford in September, following a fight in Saudi Arabia in May. The next events of his deal likely would be in February 2026 and October 2026 in Saudi Arabia.
"Canelo only fights real fighters," Alalshikh told ESPN in what can be construed as a verbal jab at Paul, who rose to fame as an internet personality.
Alvarez (62-2-2) is the reigning unified world super middleweight champion, and he previously captured world titles at light heavyweight, middleweight and light middleweight.
The 34-year-old Guadalajara, Mexico, native most recently defeated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.
Crawford (41-0), a 37-year-old Nebraskan, is the unified welterweight champion and WBA junior middleweight champion.
Paul, 28, owns an 11-1 boxing record, but he has yet to oppose a fighter close to Alvarez's level.
Paul's stardom peaked when he beat 58-year-old Mike Tyson by unanimous decision on Nov. 15 at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, Texas. The eight-round match drew gate revenues of $18.1 million -- a record for a boxing or mixed martial event held outside of Las Vegas.
Paul vs. Tyson attracted a peak of 65 million concurrent streams on Netflix, a streaming record for a live sporting event.
--Field Level Media
