Claressa Shields and Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez are five and four-weight champions respectively and have earned the right to pick and choose their challenges.
Whilst Shields was dominating the female side of the sport after winning two Olympic Gold Medals, Canelo has become the face of boxing with his all-action style and immeasurable star power.
The Mexican has taken just two losses in his 66-fight campaign and is currently undefeated in the super-middleweight ranks. He is being chased down by both Terence Crawford and David Benavidez but doesn’t share the desire for those match-ups in the way that fans do.
Who he will face next remains to be seen, but Shields has urged him to take a sideshow challenge from Jake Paul, who recently upset the boxing fraternity by stepping through the ropes with a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV after the fight, Shields urged Alvarez to accept Paul’s callout for a big payday.
“Which one of you guys that Jake Paul is calling out – and I’m gonna even say this for Mr King Canelo – if Jake Paul is calling you out talking about he can beat you in a fight, why won’t you just whoop his ass? Just do it!
What is all this, ‘oh he hasn’t earned the fight with me, he isn’t that great, he’s not a real a boxer’? Well, show he not a real boxer. Shut him up. It’s a cheque. I heard that he made 40 million tonight and Tyson made 20 million. Hey, if they’re gonna pay Canelo that type of money for a guy who can’t fight, for a guy who they say not a good boxer. Come on now. Let’s be real.”
Canelo has said in the past that he would consider such match-ups only when his days at the very top level are done. He still has some time yet.
