Jake Paul's fight with a boxing great is in doubt - but could it still happen?

Jake Paul's speculated fight with Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez could already be in doubt after Alvarez signed a multi-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh.

"Canelo in Riyadh in May. The big fight [against Crawford] in September then two more fights in '26. Don't mess with the lion," Alalshikh, who heads Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, shared online.

Alvarez quickly responded on X/Twitter: "Let's go brother."

It comes as rumours swirled that YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul may be taking on Alvarez in May, with boxing journalist Julius Julianis claiming on social media: "There is already an agreement for Jake Paul to be Canelo Álvarez’s rival in May of this year, a source very close to the operation informs me."

While the claim is unconfirmed, Paul then shared a cryptic tweet with a date and location, albeit a different date than what was initially speculated.

Getty Images

Matchroom Boxing promoter then Eddie Hearn suggested that a fight deal had been reached.

He told Boxing News: "It was all very sudden, wasn’t it? Give [Canelo] him the money and he’ll fight.

"I guess the talk was a Crawford fight. Now it looks like the Paul fight is done by all accounts.

"I don’t blame him as he’ll make an absolute fortune to fight Jake Paul. I don’t mind the fight but you have to respect Paul for taking the Canelo fight.

"He’s doing that because there’s a huge amount of money on the table. I don’t mind seeing it."

However, Paul's advisor Nakisa Bidarian claimed the fight was far from done.

"Wild times when the media is running with a confirmation of a potential fight based on the words of a person who has nothing to do with the fight," he said online.

"When there is something to announce, we will announce it.

"No outside promoter has any accurate insight on our discussions being concluded or not with any Jake Paul opponent [multiple names in discussion]."

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