Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul Finalizing Fight Deal for May 3 Cruiserweight Match
Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are reported to be finalizing a fight deal for May 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with plans to stream it on Netflix. The match raises complications for Alvarez's agreement with Terence Crawford.
Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are finalizing a deal for a cruiserweight fight on May 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
The match will take place at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds and is anticipated to be streamed on Netflix.
Alvarez, who is regarded as boxing's leading star, currently holds the unified championship at 168 pounds and has previously been the champion at 175 pounds. Jake Paul, a social media personality turned boxer, is stepping up to face a world-class opponent for the first time.
At 28, Paul has become one of boxing's major attractions, despite being relatively new to the sport. His previous fight against the 58-year-old Mike Tyson garnered an impressive 64 million concurrent streams on Netflix.
The event took place at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, generating a gate revenue of $18.1 million.
Alvarez's negotiation for a fight with Paul comes soon after it was reported that he and Terence Crawford were close to finalizing a September bout at 168 pounds at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Alvarez traditionally fights twice a year, specifically on Cinco De Mayo Weekend and during the Mexican Independence Weekend in September.
However, this recent decision to fight Paul may impact the prior arrangement to compete against Crawford during the Riyadh Season event on Mexican Independence Day Weekend, sources noted.
Alvarez expressed interest in the fight with Paul during The Full Send Podcast in November, stating, “When I'm done with boxing [at the top level], why not? Yes, maybe. I think it's good because it attracts fans who don't normally watch boxing. They know Jake Paul, but they don't know anything about boxing.”
