Paul blasts Canelo for reportedly backing out of fight: He's done nothing for boxing

Jake Paul is not happy with Canelo Álvarez after the latter reportedly backed out of a boxing match with him to sign a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

"Canelo Álvarez ducked me, Jake Paul, and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on U.S. soil," Paul tweeted Friday.

"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."

On Thursday, Álvarez was reportedly finalizing a deal to fight Paul on Netflix in a May 3 event in Las Vegas, with an announcement seemingly imminent.

However, Canelo appeared to reverse course after Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority, announced Álvarez had inked a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

Paul's company, Most Valuable Promotions, also released a statement Friday:

MVP was deep in negotiations for a blockbuster fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Álvarez 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.

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. This situation is a reminder not to believe everything you read, especially when the current media environment is often controlled by those with hidden agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll.

Álvarez is reportedly expected to begin his four-fight series with Riyadh Season on May 4, which will be followed by a blockbuster matchup against the undefeated Terence Crawford on Sept. 13.