Ariel Helwani seems to know something nobody else does. The combat sports scribe has predicted a fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez very soon, and by very soon, he means 2025.
Ever since he got into boxing, Paul has made it known that his ultimate aim was to fight Canelo for a world title. The Mexican has never turned down this opportunity, saying everyone should have dreams and aspirations. However, at this point in his career, he has bigger things to worry about than ‘The Problem Child’.
But since his run-in with Mike Tyson, Pau’s about taking on the world champion has gained a certain prominence.
As it turns out, Helwani, a credible voice in the industry has lent his support to the matchup.
“But I really do believe that the Canelo fight is a real thing….Very soon…I would not be shocked in 2025 if that’s a fight that happens.”
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However, Helwani doesn’t really think Paul will win the match. The scribe believes that although Paul will have the size advantage going into the fight, Canelo will still ‘whoop’ him.
This is also not the first time Helwani has spoken about the fight, it’s just that his timeline has changed. Earlier this month, he had set a 2-year timeline for the same.
Canelo vs. Paul timeline
Ahead of the Tyson fight, Helwani had made a statement regarding ‘The Problem Child’s’ future and how he sees a world title fight in store for him.
“I think we are legitimately 2 years away from Jake Paul Canelo. I don’t think Jake Paul Canelo is a crazy thing.”
Helwani’s reasoning at the time was that Alvarez would take the fight at the end of his career, two years down the line. So what changed since then?
Well, it can be argued that he saw the kind of money and attention that Jake Paul could bring to a fight firsthand.
His fight with Tyson broke several gates, PPV, and viewing records, including Canelo’s. Paul’s cadence, combined with Canelo’s stardom has the potential to become the biggest boxing match ever hosted.
The Mexican boxer has nothing left to prove in his career and is now fighting only for his legacy. But the opportunity to give fans what they want- and make no mistake, what they want is to see Paul take on a legitimate boxer at the peak of their game- should be enough to make the fight happen.
