There’s been a lot of talk about a potential matchup in May that pits Canelo Alvarez against YouTuber Jake Paul on Cinco de Mayo, but we, as boxing fans ourselves, see this as a fight destined to be more about money than merit.
Jake Paul has mostly fought non-boxers and taken advantage of less-skilled opponents and is unlikely to offer a serious challenge for a fighter of Canelo’s caliber. In fact, some fans in social media suspect that the only way this fight would last more than a round is if Canelo is carrying Paul, a tactic some believe he employed in his last two bouts against Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia to avoid fan backlash for choosing weaker opponents.
Rumors about the fight continue to swirl, and while nothing has been officially confirmed, the prospect of Canelo taking on Jake Paul seems to be driven by financial incentives. Of course, Canelo could use the bout to rack up a payday and stay active ahead of a fight against Terence Crawford in September.
Watch 10 minutes of brutal Canelo KO’s: Watch
Jake Paul, on the other hand, has built a lucrative career in boxing largely on his massive social media following and his ability to generate hype. With an estimated net worth of $100 million and millions of fans on Instagram and YouTube, Paul has proven he can draw attention and money, regardless of the quality of his opposition. His fight against Canelo, if it happens, would likely be a short affair - perhaps lasting just one round if Canelo is in full form.
As Ade Oladipo of DAZN Boxing put it, “This is Canelo we’re talking about. If Canelo wanted to get Jake Paul out in a minute, I believe he would. One round is about right. If it goes beyond the first round, you have to suspect that Canelo is carrying him.”
What do you make of this potential matchup? Let us know.