Turki Alalshikh belittles Jake Paul after Canelo Alvarez fight fell apart, pitches ‘Belt of YouTube’ fight
Saudi Arabian chairman Turki Alalshikh mocked Jake Paul after signing Canelo Alvarez to a four-fight deal and nixing their blockbuster fight.
Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez seemed like an inevitability after reports on Thursday pointed to a blockbuster fight being finalized for a May 3rd clash. But as the Paul vs. Alvarez negotiations neared a close, Alvarez withdrew from the talks and agreed to a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season which includes a mega fight with Terence Crawford.
It was a stunning conclusion to what was expected to be one of the biggest blockbuster fights of 2025. After Alvarez withdrew from negotiations, Paul blasted Alvarez in a lengthy social media post.
Four years after manifesting a fight with Alvarez, Paul fell just short of making his dream matchup come to fruition. After Alvarez agreed to a new deal with Riyadh Season, that secured him through late 2026, the bout is now firmly out of the picture for both boxers.
Everyone involved in the negotiations, including Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, has issued statements on what went wrong on the final stretch of the fight talks. Turki Alalshikh basked in Paul’s failed fight and sarcastically proposed a timeline for Paul to pursue Alvarez again.
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Turki Alalshikh takes aim at Jake Paul after Canelo Alvarez fight fallout
In a recent interview with ESPN, Alalshikh explained why the Alvarez vs. Paul fight didn’t make sense.
“I think Canelo is too young to take this fight,” Alalshikh said. “You can have it after 30 years, when [Canelo] is 60.
“Let them bring Mr. Beast and we can sanction it, with Disney, for the belt of YouTube. And everyone will subscribe and see it. Everyone will see it, and for the YouTuber belt.”
As of this writing, Paul hasn’t responded to Alalshikh’s comments. He hasn’t appeared in the ring since defeating heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson in November by unanimous decision.
MVP and Paul are reportedly in talks with several ‘high-profile opponents’ for the polarizing boxer’s return later this year. He was briefly linked to a potential fight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor, along with his brother Logan, before the Alvarez fight talks ramped up.
Jake Paul and MVP targeting ‘high-profile opponents’ for boxing return
Meanwhile, Alvarez will face either Jermall Charlo or Bruno Surace for his return later this year with Riyadh Season. The Crawford fight is still targeted for September as they resume and potentially finalize negotiations.
Paul will now pursue other options for his next boxing match. A rematch with Tommy Fury, who handed Paul his first professional loss in 2023, is a potential fit for their next bouts after Fury’s recent withdrawal from a clash with former UFC star Darren Till.
Regardless, the Paul vs. Alvarez fight talks are dead, just hours after it appeared the mega fight was coming to fruition. Paul might have to wait a while for a potential rebooking with Alvarez after Alalshikh’s latest remarks.
