‘Owned slave’ – Jake Paul takes angry swipe at Canelo Alvarez as he releases first statement since fight collapse

Jake Paul has torn into Canelo Alvarez for ‘ducking him’ after the Mexican superstar pulled the plug on their crossover clash.

It was reported last night that Canelo was finalising a deal to square off against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul on May 3 in Las Vegas.

But in a stunning eleventh-hour U-turn, Canelo walked away from negotiations to sign a lucrative four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh took to social media on Thursday evening to announce the news, writing: “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.”

Bruno Surace and Jermall Charlo are now the frontrunners to face the former pound-for-pound king in May while discussions over a September showdown with Terence Crawford have re-ignited.

Hardcore boxing fans will be rejoicing at the news but Paul is understandably furious.

“Breaking news: Canelo Alvarez ducked me Jake Paul and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil,” he wrote on X.

READ MORE : Fans Demand Canelo Faces One Man Next As Terence Crawford Fight Is…..

“It’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring.

“When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is. 28 years old.

“Biggest fight in boxing history. My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in.

“All of you felines want to see me fail, but god has other plans.

“It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP.”

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the boxing promotion founded by Paul, also released a statement on the saga.

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

“This situation is a reminder not to believe everything you read, especially when the current media environment is often controlled by those with hidden agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll.

“We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share our values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters.

“Jake Paul isn’t going anywhere, and neither is MVP. We’ll continue to disrupt boxing, on our terms.”

It’s been a whirlwind few days in the boxing world.

48 hours ago, Ring Magazine reported that Canelo-Crawford was off, only for Alalshikh to strike a deal with the former undisputed super middleweight champion and salvage the fight that fans are clambering for.

In a video released to social media, Alalshikh declared that Canelo will return to the ring in May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He is then expected to fight again in September against Crawford in Las Vegas, followed by two Riyadh fights in February 2026 and October 2026.

British boxing stars Hamzah Sheeraz and Chris Eubank Jr are reportedly up for consideration as potential Canelo opponents next year, as is Dmitry Bivol, who defeated the 34-year-old in 2022.

Jake Paul’s Team Finally Release Statement On Canelo Alvarez Fight

Speculation continues to grow that Jake Paul has landed a fight with one of the sport’s biggest stars in Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez.

Paul is 11-1 in his professional campaign and has largely made his name in boxing by facing former UFC fighters, including Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley. His sole loss came at the hands of Tommy Fury back in 2022

Last year, the 28-year-old American was involved in his most controversial bout to date, an eight-rounder against 58-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

Though the even was a huge success financially, and marked Netflix’s first high-profile foray into the sport, the main event was underwhelming and hard to watch for many fans who idolised ‘Iron’ Mike in his prime.

Still, Paul forges on as one of the most discussed men in boxing despite his modest experience. He has been adamant for years that he will land a fight against four-weight world champion Canelo, and recent reports suggest that just might have happened.

Initially revealed by Julian Julianus, the pair are apparently in talks to face off in May this year. Whilst the weight, broadcaster, fight details and more are yet to be uncovered, promoter Eddie Hearn today told various media outlets that he believes the fight is ‘done.’

Speaking to Boxing News, the British promoter – who has worked with both fighters in the past – said that an agreement may have been the reason behind Canelo’s mega fight with Terence Crawford being taken off the table.

READ MORE : Fans Demand Canelo Faces One Man Next As Terence Crawford Fight Is…..

“It was all very sudden wasn’t it. Is it in relation to the Jake Paul fight? Canelo doesn’t care. Give him the money and he’ll fight. This isn’t a negative but he doesn’t really have loyalty to anyone. None to me, none to PBC, none to Turki Al-Alshikh. ‘Pay me the money and I’ll fight whoever you want me to fight.’

“I guess the talk was a Crawford fight. Now it looks like the Paul-Canelo fight is done by all accounts. Does that make the Crawford fight less appealing? He’s kind of moving into that world now. I don’t blame him as he’ll make an absolute fortune to fight Jake Paul.”

This appears to have prompted Paul’s talent agency BAVAFA Sports, run by his promotional partner Nakisa Bidarian, to release a statement clearing things up.

“When there is something to announce, we will announce it. No outside promoter has any accurate insight on our discussions being concluded or not with any Jake Paul opponent (multiple names in discussion).”

Meanwhile, Paul posted that he will be the A-side in his next fight amidst the speculation.