‘Owned slave’ Alvarez ducked Cinco de Mayo fight in Vegas

The fallout from Thursday’s 11th-hour major, and apparently final, twist on a short boxing roller coaster ride likely only is just beginning.

Former YouTuber Jake Paul, who for the past few years has been arguably the biggest name in boxing, reportedly was about to announce a blockbuster fight on Netflix against Canelo Alvarez – until a deal was announced between Alvarez and Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.

Paul on Friday said Alvarez ducked a fight with him and insinuated that he acted only for money and ignored other variables. Those variables, Paul’s MVP Promotions said in a news release, would have included a fight vs. Paul for Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas.

MVP’s statement also suggested some reporting of Paul and Alvarez news has been less than forthcoming in terms of journalistic credibility.

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said Alvarez’s deal is for four fights. Alvarez, 34, is the current WBC and WBO super middleweight champion at 168 pounds. In his most recent appearance this past September, Alvarez dominated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision to retain his titles.

Alvarez is expected to box in Saudi Arabia in May in the first fight on the deal, then fight super welterweight champion Terence Crawford in September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

“Breaking news: Canelo Alvarez ducked me, Jake Paul, and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil,” Paul posted on social media. “It’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring.

“I’m the new face of boxing. You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved. When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is. 28 years old. Biggest fight in boxing history. My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in. All of you felines want to see me fail, but God has other plans. It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP. @mostvaluablepromotions”

MVP’s full statement on the Alvarez news:

“MVP was deep in negotiations for a blockbuster fight between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, a massive event for the Mexican, Puerto Rican and American fans, and it’s disappointing to see how the situation unfolded. MVP operates with integrity, transparency, and respect for the sport, its athletes and the fans. Unfortunately, not everyone in the boxing world shares those values.

“This situation is a reminder not to believe everything you read, especially when the current media environment is often controlled by those with hidden agendas, including promoters who have reporters on their payroll. We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share our values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters.

“Jake Paul isn’t going anywhere, and neither is MVP. We’ll continue to disrupt boxing, on our terms.”