Canelo Alvarez really played the long game, didn’t he? He let the negotiations for his fight against Jake Paul run its course, canceled a dream fight against Terence Crawford, even allegedly signed a contract with Paul, and in the end, left the YouTuber high and dry.
The turnaround came at a time when fans had lost all hope of seeing the Canelo-Crawford fight. But as the Ring Magazine announced that the Paul deal was off, a flurry of delight took over the combat world. And once the Canelo-Crawford fight was confirmed, they were ecstatic. Fans were astonished to see the Mexican fighter pull one over the Problem Child. It looked like the unified super middleweight champion completely dominated the YouTuber, something you would expect inside the ring and not in business. However, a recent post by BAVAFA Sports suggests that things were not that simple.
Jake Paul’s ultimate loss
BAVAFA Sports, a talent management and investment firm founded by Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, was looking over the contract between Paul and Team Canelo. BAVAFA Sports has constantly played a significant role in managing MVP operations. As the fight is now scrapped, they decided to reveal the terms agreed between the fighters before reneging at the final hour.
According to BAVAFA, “Jake vs Canelo was planned as a Cruiserweight fight,” which would have been a whopping 32lbs heavier than what Canelo usually fights at. However, it looked like the unified super middleweight champion knew the fight would be at catchweight and was ready for it. “Team Canelo approached us to do the fight at 190 lbs (Canelo’s walk around weight),” claimed BAVAFA.
Jake vs Canelo was planned as a Cruiserweight fight. Team Canelo approached us to do the fight at 190 lbs (Canelo’s walk around weight). We said it made no sense to take away the one advantage the public would see for Jake – his size. So the agreement was a standard Cruiserweight…
— BAVAFA Sports (@BAVAFASports) February 8, 2025
However, MVP refused the condition as “it made no sense to take away the one advantage the public would see for Jake – his size.” The Problem Child recently fought legendary fighter Mike Tyson at heavyweight, and a fight at below cruiserweight would be too difficult for Jake Paul to come down too.
BAVAFA then confirmed that Canelo Alvarez had to give in to the demands as “the agreement was a standard Cruiserweight fight, 12 rounds, 3 minute rounds.” However, the complete 180° turn by Canelo Alvarez has sent the combat world into overdrive, as a former UFC champion also decided to speak their piece on the decision.
Canelo Alvarez’s master plan
As soon as the news broke out, MMA analyst Luke Thomas bluntly praised the move by Canelo on ‘X.’ He wrote, “If you’re not keeping track, Canelo used Paul as a bargaining chip to get more money from Turki and negotiated it through coordinated media leaks. Paul is bitter about it,” claiming that the Mexican fighter had planned everything in advance to get the paycheck he wanted from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.
Whether the theory is correct or not, only Canelo Alvarez knows. However, it impressed the former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway. Holloway replied to Thomas’ tweet and passed his verdict in just four words. He wrote, “What a business move.” It was indeed a sensational move. So the Guadalajara native reportedly led Jake Paul down the road of a potential blockbuster fight. However, in the end, it was all a ruse to secure the four-fight deal from the Saudi Royal.
If it was indeed Canelo Alvarez’s plan, then kudos to him. Even if it happened by chance, he is going to enjoy the next two years thoroughly. Let us know your thoughts down below.
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