Jake Paul breaks his silence after Canelo Alvarez fight is cancelled

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has sensationally accused Canelo Alvarez of 'ducking' him after the super-middleweight king opted against taking on the American. The news serves as a huge blow to 'The Problem Child' - who has been itching for a showdown with the Mexican superstar. On Thursday night, reports stated that 'Saul' had signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season - including a September showdown with Terence Crawford.

Announcing the news, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh said: "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." Alvarez is set to fight an opponent, yet to be confirmed, in May in Saudi Arabia before facing Crawford in Las Vegas in the autumn. The 34-year-old will then have a further two fights in Saudi Arabia next year. 'Saul' replied to Alalshikh's announcement on social media, saying: "Let's go brother.".

With Paul left without an opponent for the time being, the 28-year-old has broken his silence and has reacted to Thursday night's big news. In a post uploaded to X - formerly known as Twitter - the young American didn't hold back in his assessment of Alvarez, before insisting that he's the 'new face of boxing.' "Breaking news: Canelo Alvarez ducked me Jake Paul and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil," the post began.

"It’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring. I’m the new face of boxing. You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved. When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is. 28 years old. Biggest fight in boxing history. My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in. All of you felines want to see me fail, but god has other plans. It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP.".

In a recent press release, a spokesperson for Most Valuable Promotions confirmed that the promotion were in talks with Alvarez's team regarding a potential clash with Paul, before stating that they are currently in discussions with 'multiple high-profile' opponents ahead of Jake's return. 'MVP was deep in negotiations for a blockbuster fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, a massive event for the Mexican, Puerto Rican and American fans, and it's disappointing to see how the situation unfolded," the statement began.

"This situations is a reminder not to believe everything you read, especially when the current media environment is often controlled by those with agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll. We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share our values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters. Jake Paul isn't going anywhere, and neither is MVP. We'll continue to disrupt boxing, on our terms.".

The stunning news regarding the Mexican's mammoth deal came a few hours after ESPN reported that 'Saul' was slated to face Paul on May 3 in Las Vegas, with sources telling the outlet that a deal was being finalised and a formal announcement was imminent. However, in a stunning development, the super-middleweight king changed course and has now put pen-to-paper on a lucrative deal with Riyadh Season.

Last night, BAVAFA Sports, the firm of Paul’s advisor, Nakisa Bidarian, were quick to address the boxer's ongoing situation with regards to his next fight. The post seemingly takes a swipe at those speculating the 28-year-old's next move as it reads: "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).".

There have been so many twists and turns throughout the course of the week as reports originally stated that Alvarez's clash with Crawford was off the cards. This came after rumours then began to circulate regarding a dust-up between Paul and the Mexican after boxing journalist Julius Julianis revealed that the pair agreed to go head-to-head in May for a Cinco de Mayo event. Julianis wrote the proposed Paul vs. Alvarez fight will be co-promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), and Canelo Promotions.

Paul is now on the look out for a new opponent. The American hasn't fought since defeating Mike Tyson back in November. The 28-year-old took to social media earlier this week to reveal the exact date and location ahead of his next bout - which completely contradicted the initial Alvarez fight reports. He wrote: “It’s time. Sat July 5 New York, New York.”. A bout with Canelo could still take place later down the line after boxing promoter Eddie Hearn claimed that the Mexican would be open to fighting Paul, providing the price is right. In an interview with Matchroom Boxing, he said: "Whenever I've spoken to Saul (Canelo) about Jake Paul, he's always gone 'pay me the money and I'll fight him.' Saul is so transparent, that's why I love dealing with Canelo. Zero bulls***... give him the money and he'll fight. That's it!.