When boxing’s flashiest showman takes issue with the spectacle surrounding this year’s biggest fight, something’s clearly off. Outraged by what he saw as a lack of respect toward the sport’s true stars, Jake Paul didn’t hold back-and fans quickly rallied behind him.
The fight between Mexico’s Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and American Terence Crawford is shaping up to be the boxing event of the year. Both fighters have just launched an intense promotional campaign, backed by Riyadh Season and spearheaded by UFC CEO and media mogul Dana White.
Their latest face-off, held Sunday in New York, was packed with tension-but for all the wrong reasons. At least, according to Paul, who made his frustration loud and clear.
Paul Stands up for the fighters
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), “The Problem Child” criticized organizers of the press conference, writing: “I’m going to fire MVP’s head of production if he ever has the fighters come out before the promoters, hosts, etc.”
He didn’t stop there. “They keep saying Canelo and Crawford [are] legends… treat them like that,” he added, calling out what he viewed as blatant disrespect.
What sparked Paul’s outburst? At the event, Canelo and Crawford were introduced before Dana White and ESPN’s Max Kellerman-something Paul viewed as backwards and emblematic of misplaced priorities. Kellerman, notably, was announced as part of the Netflix broadcast team for the fight.
Fans echo Paul’s frustration
Paul wasn’t alone. Fans quickly voiced their agreement, calling for greater respect toward the fighters.
“Respect legends, hype the fighters first,” one user wrote. Another chimed in: “This is all the way wrong.”
Some even turned their criticism toward Turki Alalshikh, head of Riyadh Season and lead promoter for the bout: “All Truki does is sit on the sidelines while the fighters put their bodies on the line.”
While a few critics accused Paul of seeking attention, others found it refreshing to see the influencer-turned-boxer using his platform to advocate for the sport’s true protagonists.
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