YouTuber Jake Paul, who has made waves as a boxer, declared his intention to set his sights on boxing powerhouse Canelo Alvarez right after he steps out of the ring with Mike Tyson.
Dubbed ‘The Problem Child’, Jake Paul is currently honing his skills in the last phase of preparation for his blockbuster battle against the former heavyweight world champ. The event is poised to cause a sensation on Friday, November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where an audience of up to 80,000 fans is expected to gather.
Since stepping into the professional arena in 2020, the internet sensation hasn’t shied away from challenging high-profile figures in the fight game. To date, the 27 year old’s hit list includes victories over notable adversaries such as Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Ben Askren; carving out a record of 10-1, with the sole defeat delivered by Tommy Fury the previous year.
As for Tyson, the legendary pugilist has not engaged in a professional fight since his 2005 defeat by Kevin McBride. The upcoming skirmish between Tyson and Paul is slated to be broadcast on Netflix without a pay-per-view fee for existing subscribers.
Though his gaze is fixed firmly on the upcoming clash, Paul seems to already be lining up his next challenge. In a conversation on Sean O’Malley’s podcast, the ambitious 27-year-old expressed his eagerness to enter the ring against Canelo, revealing “I do [have a callout], it’s Canelo.
“This moment will prove that I’m the face of boxing, the largest attraction. Me vs Canelo at 200 pounds for the cruiserweight championship of the world is the biggest fight – arguably even bigger than me vs. Tyson.
“It makes so much sense. You know, Canelo is on his way out, he’s going to want a payday, and I want to show the world that all of the s*** I’ve been talking about beating Canelo is actually ‘true’.”
Never one to shy away from controversy, the brash American has previously dared to challenge the super-middleweight sensation. Right after clinching victory against Ryan Bourland earlier this year, ‘The Problem Child’ seized his triumphant moment in the ring to confront Canelo. “Canelo, stop ducking. I know you want it,” he taunted.
“I’m repping Puerto Rico, you’re repping Mexico, so it’s Puerto Rico vs Mexico. I want Canelo. I want all the biggest names. Like I said, I’m the face of this sport. Truly, who’s doing more for boxing than me? I keep on proving myself time and time again.”
Interestingly, last year Canelo herself hasn’t dismissed outright the notion of squaring off with Paul, though aiming to focus on his career goals first. “Yeah maybe, but not right now,” Alvarez stated regarding a future bout with Paul.
“For me, not right now because I’m chasing other things in my career but you never know, maybe later.” When questioned whether such a match would be a swan song post-retirement event, he admitted, “Yeah.”