Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez can't seem to stop talking about Jake Paul. The Mexican boxing star keeps bringing up the YouTuber-turned-boxer, even though he's made it clear he won't fight him.
Canelo's latest comments come as Paul gets ready to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The media keeps trying to link Canelo and Paul, especially now that Paul's fighting someone Canelo knows well.
While getting ready for his own fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia, Canelo shared his thoughts on the Paul vs Chavez Jr. matchup. He's betting on Chavez Jr. to win.
"Obviously Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. And I hope he wins. If he prepares very well and takes good care of himself. He wins it,"Canelo said.
Canelo knows Chavez Jr.'s skills firsthand. They fought in Las Vegas back in 2017, with Canelo winning by unanimous decision.
Paul, nicknamed the "Problem Child," isn't taking the criticism lying down. He's defending his choice of opponent, comparing it to a recent UFC fight.
"Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a former world champion, a world cruiserweight champion. He's the same weight as me, the same size as me and 20 years more professional boxing experience than me,"Paul argued.
He went on to say,
"Last week, Paddy Pimblett beat Michael Chandler and the whole world went crazy, but nobody mentioned Michael Chandler's age. That's because he's still in his prime, the same age as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. If people didn't have a problem with Paddy, why do they have a problem with me? So when I beat him, don't even complain about his age."
At 37, Chavez Jr. is older than the 28-year-old Paul. But he's got a big name in boxing, partly thanks to his famous father. Even with his past struggles with addiction and a declining career, Chavez Jr. still gets attention in the boxing world.
Paul's fights are often seen more as marketing events than traditional boxing matches. But he's not backing down from the challenge, and he's ready to prove himself against a former world champion.
