Canelo Álvarez: Jake Paul Exhibition Fight Is Possibility After Eventual Retirement
August 17, 2023
Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez isn't interested in a fight against Jake Paul amid the former YouTuber's callouts, but he can see an exhibition match between them down the line.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Álvarez was asked if he'd be interested in a fight against Paul and he said, "Yeah, maybe, but not right now. ... For me, not right now, because I'm chasing other things in my career. But you never know, maybe later." When asked if it would be after he retired, he said, "Yeah."
Álvarez was also asked if he felt that a professional fight against Paul would tarnish his legacy or be disrespectful to the sport of boxing and he responded, "I think so."
Paul is coming off a unanimous decision win against former UFC star Nate Diaz earlier this month. After the fight, he expressed his desire for a fight with Álvarez.
"I don't care about [Conor McGregor], he needs to go to rehab. I want Nate in MMA. I want more professional boxers and I want Canelo, Paul said.
Álvarez maintained his disinterest in the fight, telling Mirror Fighting, "My level is another level. I think he needs to enjoy what he's doing and that's it. He needs to calm down and stop calling out people with other levels. I think he needs to focus on what he's doing, he's doing good things."
While speaking on The Breakfast Club, Álvarez reiterated this stance, expressing praise for Paul but saying he should stay in his own lane.
"And no disrespect to Jake Paul and what he's doing, he can do whatever he wants, but I think it's not for real boxing, for my career, to put a fight on my record with Jake Paul," Álvarez said.
When asked how long a fight between him and Paul would last, he said plainly, "Not that long."
Álvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) is preparing to defend his titles against undisputed light middleweight champ Jermell Charlo on Sept. 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) is moving up two weight classes to attempt to become a two-division champion.