Many fight fans have been checking their phones expecting the imminent announcement of two pound-for-pound greats in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford taking on each other.
However, it now looks more likely that they will be seeing a graphic of Canelo squaring off with YouTube star and novice boxer Jake Paul instead. Rumors of a bout between Canelo and Paul started to gain traction yesterday and it seems like only a matter of time before an official announcement is made.
Paul is yet to fight a “real” boxer [unless you’re counting a 58 year old Mike Tyson and the unheralded half brother of Tyson Fury], but will be stepping up to take on the current unified super middleweight champion in Alvarez. There is no doubt that Canelo will come under criticism for his choice of opponent when the official announcement is released, but Eddie Hearn, his former promoter and friend, understands the decision.
“No [I didn’t know about it], I get it, you know, I think it's a huge fight,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “Generates, I mean, generates a lot more money than Canelo-Crawford, which some fight fans might not like, but that's the truth of the situation. You've got two superstars there from different walks of life in Canelo and Jake Paul.
“Canelo doesn't care. Canelo goes, ‘Just give me the money, I'll fight anyone you want.’ And obviously, to fight Jake Paul, it's going to be extremely attractive considering it will probably be his biggest payday ever to fight Jake Paul. So, he's laughing all the way to the bank in Guadalajara and stopping off for a little espresso on the way.”
Paul’s clash with Tyson on Netflix in November broke all kinds of viewership numbers. Many would expect Paul’s bout with Canelo to break even more. Hearn was asked if he believes that the matchup is the biggest fight in boxing and replied: “Sadly, it’s one of them, but listen, I'll watch it.”
“Listen, I've been critical of Jake in the past because I've just been honest about certain fights that I haven't liked. I didn't like the Tyson fight. You can't not like this. Like, you can't criticize Jake Paul for fighting Canelo Alvarez. I mean, I know he's doing it because he's getting bundles.
“I don't think you can criticize Canelo,” he continued. “He's got all the legacy in the world, He's won all the belts. And he's very transparent, Canelo. He doesn't tell you that it's not about the money, it's about the legacy. He says it's all about the money because he's got the legacy. So, I get it. I do get it. And listen, I'll tune in.”