Jake Paul got ready to fight Canelo Alvarez, but the match fell through at the last minute. Paul shared the details about why it didn't happen a month after the cancellation.
Paul and Canelo's teams worked hard for two months to set up the fight. They even signed a letter of intent and a confidentiality agreement on the Monday after Paul's fight with Tyson. Everything looked good to go.
But then Turki Alalshikh stepped in. He offered Canelo a deal he couldn't refuse - the best contract of his career. It included four fights: one in Las Vegas and three in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Alalshikh didn't stop there. He called Canelo and his trainer, Eddie Reynoso, to question their decision to fight Paul. He went as far as threatening Canelo, saying he'd cancel the three-fight contract and wouldn't pay him if he took the Paul fight.
"You're not going to fight Crawford. I'm not going to pay you any of this money,"Alalshikh reportedly told Canelo.
Paul told David Benavidez in an interview:
"Pretty much everything was set to go from yard one, we signed the letter of intent and the confidentiality agreement. On the Monday after the fight with Tyson. So we were negotiating for two months straight."
Paul didn't hold back his feelings about Alalshikh:
"Turki hates me, he hates me completely. He did everything he could to frustrate the fight. Try to make it not happen."
With all this pressure, Canelo decided to take Alalshikh's offer, leaving Paul without the big fight he wanted.
Now, Paul's looking at other options. He thought about fighting Gervonta Davis, but Davis' draw against Lamont Roach Jr changed that plan. Paul's now set his sights on Anthony Joshua.
"I want to fight Anthony Joshua. Exclusive! Because I know I'm going to beat Anthony Joshua... I love you, Anthony, and we're friends. But I want to fight you,"Paul said.
But there's one fighter Paul won't face - David Benavidez. Paul admitted to Benavidez himself:
"My manager talks to me about all the possible fights and I say yes and no. And the only one is not you. I will not fight this guy. He's a monster, brother. I would die. I know my limits."
This situation shows how much power promoters have in boxing. They can make or break fights with their influence and money. It also highlights how YouTubers and content creators like Paul are shaking up the boxing world, trying to land fights with established pros.
