‘Boxing Is a Joke’: Eddie Hearn’s Major Update on Canelo Alvarez vs. Jake Paul Leaves Fans Disappointed

For weeks now, Canelo Alvarez was in talks for a potential super fight with Terence Crawford, a matchup that had boxing purists buzzing with excitement. However, the latest reports have thrown a curveball at those plans—Jake Paul has entered the conversation, and according to promoter Eddie Hearn, the fight with Canelo is reportedly a done deal.

Jake has long wanted to fight Canelo and has repeatedly called out the super middleweight champion. While this fight is exciting on its own, a far more interesting and legitimate battle with far-reaching consequences would have been between Canelo and Crawford. Their fight was one of the matchups on Turki Alalshikh’s bucket list. It had gotten fans really pumped up when both boxers appeared to be close to finalizing a deal.

However, Hearn’s statement to The Ring about having heard about discussions confirming Canelo taking on the YouTuber-turned-boxer has left fans disheartened. And it’s not just a couple of guys complaining about not getting what they wanted to see.

The reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with many voicing their frustrations, primarily with Canelo’s perceived dodgy tactics. One fan lamented, “Boxing is a joke and the promotions themselves sold it out.” Another criticized Canelo, stating, “Canelo ducking Crawford & Benavidez to fight a YouTuber. Not a true champ in my book.”

 

The disappointment was echoed by others who sarcastically suggested, “None of his fans asked for this. Canelo might fight Claressa Shields after this.” Some were particularly enraged at the apparent decision to prioritize Jake over Crawford, with one user exclaiming, “If Canelo really replaced the Bud fight with Jake Paul, he’s never going to hear the end of it, and rightfully so.”

Others simply mocked the situation, with comments like, “Kid ducked Crawford for Jake Paul lmfaoooooo.”

The backlash highlights the growing frustration regarding the sport’s current trajectory. The general notion has been that matchups like this diminish the credibility of boxing, favoring spectacle over legitimate competition. Take Jake’s last fight against Mike Tyson for example. While it sold out the arena and became an instant hit on Netflix, the actual match was a farce, to be generous. Tyson was 58 and he looked his age going against Jake, who was 28 at the time!

So, why is Canelo fighting Jake? Any claims of avenging the great Tyson doesn’t seem like an acceptable argument especially since all Canelo will be doing is further legitimizing the younger Paul brother as a serious professional boxer.

However, it should be noted that nothing is set in stone just yet.

Jake shuts down rumors

Amidst the backlash, Jake has categorically denied any confirmations regarding the fight. The YouTuber-turned-boxer urged fans not to believe anything unless they hear it directly from him. He reposted a tweet from his manager Nakisa Bidarian’s company, which stated,

“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).”

According to Paul, he is still in conversation with multiple opponents. Following his win over Tyson, he had been challenged by other world champions like Artur Beterbiev and Daniel Dubois. So, the possibilities are endless, especially since despite his lack of credibility, the younger Paul brother rakes in the big bucks every time he laces a pair of gloves for an audience.

So, the only thing we know for sure at the moment is that ‘The Problem Child’ is returning to the ring and he has a big opponent in mind.