[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Boxing Turki, Canelo, and Jake Paul: Usual Boxing Business Explained by Rich Mancuso February 7, 2025 Image Credit: Cooper Neill/ PBC/Getty Images NEW YORK, NY — You have to understand Canelo Alvarez, Jake Paul, the Kings and Princes of Saudi Arabia (Turki Alalshikh) chairman and General Entertainment Authority of Riyadh season. You need to know how they handle business to understand boxing. They have become faces of the sport. But the last 24-hours they have made the sport into a mockery. More reason why boxing continues to diminish on the sports landscape, has minimal respect, or recognition. An injustice to fighters who deserve recognition and respect. Don’t mess with the lion 🦁… 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … The Deal is done 🥊 … A Lion 🦁 doesn’t lose sleep over opinion of a sheep 🐑… Fear the lion 🦁 not the jungle 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/OJTaapvPfU — TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) February 7, 2025 Alvarez, perhaps the greatest fighter out of Mexico with the icon Julio César Chávez, a distinction of the first to unify titles at super middleweight (168) in the four-belt era, so-called face of boxing because he earns money for promoters and himself is the boss. Canelo (62-2,2, 39 KOs) is his own promoter and built a legacy that will live in boxing history. He arranges his fights, picks the next challenge, and ignores mandatory opponents despite various alphabet organizations saying who is next in line for the titles. He was stripped of the IBF belt because he ignored the mandate and last year decided to defend against Edgar Berlanga (Puerto Rican from Brooklyn, NY) and Jaime Munguía (Tijuana, Mexico) both successfully going the 12-round distance. The IBF title is on the waist of William Skull, a fight Alvarez was reportedly going to take to once again unify the titles at 168. But that was quickly gone and it was not a mandate of the IBF, Alvarez has the WBC, WBA, WBO, with numerous other alphabet titles. It’s more than enough to be a King and he carries most of the belts. Canelo Alvarez receives massive ovation from Las Vegas crowd before his fight in September of 2024 – Image Credit: Ray Del Rio/PBC Whether it’s the legacy of being the best pound-for-pound fighter, though no longer does Alvarez have that distinction, title belts do mean something even if he has no more space to put them around his waist. It’s the name of Canelo Alvarez who commands a sport that needs more recognition and less of those negative headlines. He is a pay-per-view king also, and rivals Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the all-time revenue maker. And that also pertains to Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned professional fighter who has more of a following than Alvarez, believe it or not, that’s a fact. Jake Paul, though, in 12 professional fights has sustained a defeat to Tommy Fury, a legitimate heavyweight and related to former heavyweight champion Tyson. Paul also is a center of attention, a five-year pro who makes a lot of money. Pro fighters, UFC competitors, pro wrestlers and names out of the entertainment world come out of nowhere and challenge Paul because of his popularity with a younger demographic. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson went at it last November, making for a record-breaking night for streaming on Netflix – Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions Opposing and challenging him means earning a lot of money with pay-per-view revenue. Please don’t put Hall of Famer and heavyweight champ Mike Tyson into this equation, a fight with Paul he lost in November that set record numbers on Netflix. Many said, as I have, the fight was a farce with scripted punches and jabs in the ring. Paul resides in San Juan Puerto Rico, fights as a cruiserweight, owns MVP Promotions and helped Amanda Serrano (Carolina, Puerto Rico) to prominence, becoming a champion and face in the female division. But he hasn’t fought a legitimate fighter despite claims to be the best. One of many fighters Jake Paul has helped and supported: Amanda Serrano – Image Credit: Esther Lin/MVP And there is the Turki, who has evolved his empire in Saudi Arabia to become the King of boxing. He was a fan but has managed in the past few years to deliver big time promotions and mega fights for fans and the sport. Doesn’t hurt he has a pocket full of money to provide the fights and prominent names in the sport. Promoters of course are lured to the money, including Oscar De La Hoya (Golden Boy), Eddie Hearn (Marchroom), Frank Warren (Queensbury) and Hall of Famer Bob Arum (Top Rank) Two biggest mega fights last year including Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight titles were held during Riydah season in the Saudi Kingdom. Fury lost both, record crowds of 50,000 and televised on DAZN PPV, the leading streaming network in boxing and a money maker for Paul, De La Hoya, and Hearn. Oleksandr Usyk celebrates with the belts after defeating Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion – Image Credit: Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez signed a three- fight deal with the Turki, a soon to be announced unification bout this Spring vs. Richardson Hitchins and needs to live up to expectations after vacating his Top Rank contract. But this is boxing business, money and plenty to buy a nation. Political as they say, a term known as boxing politics that originated from the old school era, a time when fans could distinguish one champion from another and view champions fights on national television networks. In the picture is Terence Crawford, the Turki announced he and Alvarez would fight for the titles in September. Crawford the champion at 154 (super welterweight) and considered in the top-three in pound-for-pound rankings, jumping up two classes in weight at 168. Then again boxing works in weird ways and a mega fight for sure. Terrence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez would make for one of those must watch fights – Image Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing But in steps Paul, the allure of taking in the best and opposing Alvarez. The fight was announced, scheduled for May. The Turki was losing his deal with getting Alvarez to fight Crawford and in a span of 24-hours we had mayhem and a fight out of the ring, classic news for boxing social media because the sport is no longer known as an old fashioned print newspaper headline. Fighters and promoters generally announce their events and major fights on social media in this new era of journalism. The money was too good, as Alvarez commands a lot. He ignored light heavyweight champion David Benavidez (Mexican-American) to fight at 168 for the titles, logistics of weight class. Benavidez is a puncher to the body and could be the one to dethrone the great Canelo, a fight now in the distance but could happen if Alvarez has the belts in a few years. Could Mexican boxing sensation David Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez be meeting in the future? – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC But the Turki wins. As I stated boxing politics wins because money to Alvarez is the difference. He signs a four-fight deal with the Turi, which will take his skills to Saudi Arabia and earn possibly more fighting Crawford than Paul, though that can be disputed. Not though are the undisputed championship belts that Alvarez holds. Or the popularity of Jake Paul and money he earns with a dwindling pay-per-view industry that has succumbed to streaming networks such as DAZN, ESPN+ or when Amazon Prime televises and streams boxing events. Jake Paul and his camp released a statement on the recent negotiations regarding Canelo Alvarez – Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions Paul and MVP promotions released a statement after their obvious embarrassing hiccup that did not get them Alvarez. “The 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.” Who those reporters are is unknown, I have a clue but would rather remain silent. I certainly am not one of them, though the promoter is an obvious reference to the Turki. Paul, who has been calling out Alvarez the last year because he knew the money was right. He said he isn’t going anywhere and as MVP Promotions said in their embarrassing defense. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson during a press conference in November of 2024 – Image Credit: AP Photo/Sam Hodde “We’ll continue to disrupt boxing, on our terms.” continued Paul and MVP in a statement that was released Friday morning. But the Turki and Alvarez disrupted their plans and also revamped and owns Ring Magazine where their message gets a lot of play. Paul also said that Alvarez ducked him and now is an owned slave with the Turki and four fight deal. He said on X that “Canelo has no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil.” Another defense because this Mexican icon never ducks an opponent. He goes after the lucrative money and his legacy developed him into a billionaire fighter. 🥊🦁 pic.twitter.com/pZ2zozx5v4 — TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) February 7, 2025 Canelo will earn more money with the Crawford fight and deal with the Turki. The Crawford fight has created a lot of buzz and speculation. The Paul fight instead would have been a mockery, damaging the Alvarez credibility and legacy. Alvarez, according to the Turki has the four-fight deal with Crawford set for as Vegas in September, one in Riyadh in February of 2026 and another big one in Riyadh set for October of 2026. Opponents on the slate could be Jermall Charlo or Bruno Surace in Saudi Arabia. Yes, in the span of 24-hours the boxing world was in usual turmoil and controversy and the big names involved. It’s politics and money and if you know how the sport works this is how evolves into controversy. Canelo Alvarez remains the face of boxing, and the latest 24 hours proved it once again – Image Credit: Showtime Boxing If you know how the Turki is doing good for the sport than this is good business, disruptive as it is. If you know Alvarez this is nothing new, he goes with the money. As for Jake Paul, typical turmoil and controversy as he claims to be the best at what he does. But boxing politics at its worst and a knockout of sorts to him. Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X: (@ Ring 786), Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso Keep It in The Ring with Rich Mancuso with boxing, pro wrestling, MMA chat and analysis every Thursday evening live 8pm ET. Subscribe and comment Rich Mancuso @YouTube and Steampunk Entertainment Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content Instagram: @latinosportsoficial Facebook: Latino Sports Twitter: @latinosports Related Topics Amanda Serrano boxing Bruno Surace Canelo Alvarez David Benavidez Edgar Berlanga featured Floyd Mayweather Jaime Munguía Jake Paul Jermall Charlo Julio Cesar Chavez Mexico Mike Tyson MVP Promotions Puerto Rico Richardson Hitchins Ring Magazine Riyadh Riyadh season Saudi Arabia Teofimo Lopez Terrence Crawford Tommy Fury Turki Alalshikh Tyson Fury Click to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 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