The previously announced Jake Paul-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight is off, with the social media influencer-turned-boxer decrying the Mexican boxing champ’s decision to fight in Saudi Arabia instead. 

Canelo has walked away from negotiations with Paul for a May matchup, and signed a four-fight agreement with Riyadh Season, according to statements from Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi festival organizer’s chairman.

“Don’t mess with the lion 🦁… 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … The Deal is done 🥊 … A Lion 🦁 doesn’t lose sleep over opinion of a sheep 🐑… Fear the lion 🦁 not the jungle,” Alalshikh wrote on X.

The new agreement includes a fight in May and what Alalshikh describes as “the biggest fight in the history of boxing” in September, followed by two additional bouts in 2026. Industry speculation points to Terence Crawford as Alvarez’s September opponent, a matchup that would require Crawford to move up two weight classes to meet Alvarez at super middleweight (up to 168 lbs).

Jake Paul’s Version of the Story 

According to Essentially Sports, Paul claims he and Canelo had reached the preliminary stages of fight negotiations, including a signed Letter of Intent (LOI) and confidentiality agreement. 

He clarified on social media that this is standard practice in boxing, where fighters sign initial agreements before shopping the deal to media partners and platforms. The final contract stage was never reached.

The social media star accused Canelo of being swayed by lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, suggesting the Mexican champion was “money-hungry” and chose to avoid their potential matchup. 

Paul particularly criticized Canelo’s decision to fight Crawford, who would need to move up significantly in weight, while allegedly “running from” other contenders like David Benavidez.

Paul’s Team Claims Advanced Negotiations

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), Paul’s promotion company, released a statement saying they were “deep in negotiations” for a Cinco de Mayo weekend event in Las Vegas before the deal collapsed. 

The proposed Paul-Alvarez matchup followed Paul’s recent decision victory over Mike Tyson in a Netflix-streamed event that garnered an average of 108 million live viewers globally from opening to closing bell, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history, per Netflix.

“MVP operates with integrity, transparency, and respect for the sport, its athletes, and the fans. Unfortunately, not everyone in the boxing world shares those values,” the company stated, adding they remain “in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents.”

Paul responded to the development on X, declaring himself “the new face of boxing” and criticizing Alvarez’s decision. “You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved,” Paul posted. “When all of your events tank and lose money, you will all realize who the king of the sport is.”

MVP’s statement specifically addressed the media environment, noting that “the current media environment is often controlled by those with hidden agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll.”

The new Saudi agreement represents a significant shift in Alvarez’s position, as he had previously rejected Alalshikh’s attempts to arrange a Crawford fight. A matchup between Alvarez and Crawford would pit two elite pound-for-pound fighters against each other, potentially generating substantial revenue despite the weight class differential.

Paul, who has consistently called out Alvarez over the years, must now pivot to alternative opponents. MVP’s statement emphasized their ongoing commitment to “delivering the biggest fights” and “working with partners who share our values,” suggesting the promotion will continue pursuing high-profile matchups for their fighter.