It looks like Jake Paul's next opponent has been revealed after promoter Eddie Hearn dropped a bombshell update on a potential showdown that could break box-office records.
Paul, who defeated two-time heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November, has beaten some high-profile names in the world of combat sports, including Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
The 28-year-old has also come up against Tommy Fury, Nate Robinson and Ben Askren since making his professional bow in January 2020, when he came up against YouTube personality AnEsonGib in a six round super middleweight bout.
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But the fight that continues to elude him is a match-up against undisputed super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who has made it clear on several occasions that he has no interest in meeting Paul in the ring.
That being said, it appears a showdown is on the horizon after Eddie Hearn confirmed to Ring Magazine that he’s heard Alvarez vs Paul is a done deal.
The planned super-fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford, meanwhile, appears to have collapsed amid rumours that Canelo could face Paul in the not-so-distant future.
Speaking to Boxing News, Hearn spoke about the fight being "done by all accounts" as the YouTuber-turned-boxer looks set to get his wish.
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“It was all very sudden wasn’t it," Hearn said.
"Is it in relation to the Jake Paul fight? Canelo doesn’t care. Give him the money and he’ll fight. This isn’t a negative but he doesn’t really have loyalty to anyone. None to me, none to PBC, none to Turki Al-Alshikh. ‘Pay me the money and I’ll fight whoever you want me to fight.’
“I guess the talk was a Crawford fight. Now it looks like the Paul fight is done by all accounts. Does that make the Crawford fight less appealing? He’s kind of moving into that world now. I don’t blame him as he’ll make an absolute fortune to fight Jake Paul.
“I don’t mind the fight but you have to respect Paul for taking the Canelo fight. He’s doing that because there’s a huge amount of money on the table. I don’t mind seeing it."
Hearn added: “I have no idea if it’s in relation to that [Canelo-Crawford falling through], I’ve not had one conversation about it. But Canelo moving into that world changes things perhaps in terms of the nature of Canelo Crawford. I don’t know.”
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In the past, Paul has called out Canelo on numerous occasions, with the last time being after his unanimous decision win over Mike Tyson.
"Canelo needs me, so I'm not even going to try and call him out," he said in the ring. "He knows he wants a payday. So, he knows where the money man is at.
"He's going to want a payday and I want to show the world all the [stuff] I've been talking about beating Canelo is true and I'll have the biggest upset in the history of boxing.
"We'll fight to really see who is the face [of boxing] because, after this event, I'm going to be claiming it."
Topics: Boxing, Eddie Hearn, Jake Paul
Jack Kenmare