Canelo Alvarez taking on Jake Paul seemed a near impossibility not long ago, but strangers things have happened in the sport.
Canelo is the reigning unified super-middleweight champion, having recently been undisputed in the division along with previously holding world honours at super-welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight.
Paul on the other hand is still a relative novice, making his professional debut back in 2020 and beating mostly MMA fighters that have made the transition to boxing, including Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
His first contest against an actual boxer came in February 2023 where Paul was beaten by split decision by Tommy Fury, though ‘The Problem Child’ has bounced back since that defeat with five straight victories.
The most recent of those was in November when he was involved in a controversial fight with boxing legend and former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who at 58-years-old was having his first professional bout since 2005.
Tyson looked every bit of his age, with Paul winning the fight by unanimous decision, and it didn’t take him long to mention Canelo after the fight, continuing his call outs that he has sent to the Mexican superstar over the past few years.
With the unlikely showdown continuing to be talked about, Canelo has now told Sports Illustrated exactly what he thinks of Paul’s ability.
“I think it’s good for boxing. He brings more people to the sport of boxing. He’s good, he trains serious, so I think it’s good.”
While Paul called out Canelo after his fight with Tyson, ‘The Problem Child’ has since had some surprise recent comments about the potential bout.
