A boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul was close to being finalized but fell apart in the final stages of negotiations.
Instead of facing Paul in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Alvarez will take on William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight championship on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
When the fight fell through, Most Valuable Promotions put out a statement, and Paul took to social media to attack the boxing great. Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping wants “The Problem Child” to ‘shut up.’
“Jake Paul is at it again, making an absolutely fool out of himself. Calling out Canelo Alvarez. Making videos dancing around in a sombrero with his shirt off paying absolutely no respect and saying that Canelo Alvarez is ducking him and showing contracts,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.
“Apparently, they were all signed to fight but then he (Alvarez) is terrified. He’s gone off to Saudi Arabia, and he’s selling his soul and all the rest of it,” Bisping continued. “Shut the hell up Jake Paul!”
Alvarez (62-2-2) is a boxing legend. He’s held world championships in four different weight classes. He’s the only boxer in history to hold the undisputed super middleweight championship.
“Give me a break,” Bisping said. “Canelo Alvarez is a proper boxer, a legendary boxer. He’ll be in the boxing Hall of Fame. He’s had some incredible fights, incredible skills, and the man takes on real fighters.
“I am very glad that Canelo Alvarez will not be gracing the ring, stepping into the squared circle with that imposter, with that fake, with that wannabe,” Bisping continued.
“Jake Paul has been a tremendous businessman. Okay? He’s not a fighter. Fighters look for real fights. Fighters look for challengers. Fighters step into rings where they don’t know if they’re going to win. They don’t manufacture all the circumstances to favor them. They go in there not know whether or not they’re going to win.”
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Paul (11-1) is a showman. He sells the spectacle and has had great success at it. He’s made a lot of money on his ability to self-promote. Bisping believes Paul’s knack for promoting a fight outshines his fighting ability.
“But Jake Paul does this. This is what he does. Every single time. He claims to be the baddest mother f-er. He’s not. He’s not,” Bisping said. “He is a YouTube star. He is a Disney star. He is a businessman. Fair play. The man has made a tremendous amount of money.
“Just stop with the bullsh*t claiming that you’re a fighter. If you were a fighter, there’s a lot of people in their primes that are your size that you can fight. Canelo Alvarez boxes at around 166 pounds. Granted, he probably walks around at about 175, 180. Something like that. Jake Paul walks around at about 220 pounds. So 166 to 220 – that’s a 60-pound weight difference. Do you know what that’s called? That’s called a bully. It should be an embarrassment,” Bisping continued.
“Jake Paul is 6′ 2″, Alvarez is 5′ 7.5″. That’s a seven-inch height advantage. That should be embarrassing for Jake Paul.”
Despite Alvarez being undersized in a matchup against Paul, Bisping believes the Mexican fighting icon would still win. But he’s glad that Alvarez
“The man is a legendary boxer. And I’m so glad that he’s not going to diminish and tarnish his career by stepping in the ring with Jake Paul.”
