One of boxing’s best fighters took aim at Canelo Alvarez and other stars over the weekend for passing on a bout with Jake Paul.
Hate him or love him, Jake Paul has shockingly become a star in the sport of boxing. The 27-year-old is not ranked by any associations, councils, or major websites, but he has become one of the industry’s most notable names as he’s brought what made him a YouTube sensation to the sweet science.
On Friday, he hit a peak moment when his victory over Mike Tyson on Netflix was viewed by as many as 65 million subscribers on the streaming giant. The event broke combat sports gate records for Texas and reportedly earned the two fighters in the main event tens of millions of dollars.
It has given him the last laugh against the many fighters he has called out for a fight over the last few years. Names like Canelo Alvarez and Conor McGregor could have been in the position that 58-year-old Mike Tyson was in as he allegedly made around $20 million for the fight.
It is why three-division women’s champion Claressa Shields took aim at the fighters that passed on a massive payday due to a belief that Paul was not worthy of facing them in the ring.
- Canelo Alvarez record: 62-2 (39 knockouts)
Claressa Shields takes a shot at Canelo Alvarez for passing on a fight with Jake Paul
“Which one of you guys, who Jake Paul is calling out — and I am even going to say this for the king Canelo Alvarez — if Jake Paul is calling you out talking about he can beat you in a fight why won’t you just whoop his a**?,” Shields said in a post on her Instagram account after watching Paul vs. Tyson in person at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
“What is all this, ‘Oh, he hasn’t earned a fight with me. He isn’t that great. He’s not a real boxer.’ Well, show him he’s not a real boxer. Shut him up,” she added. “It’s a check. He made $40 million tonight and Tyson made $20 million. If they are going to pay Canelo that type of money for a guy who they say is not a good boxer, come on now. Let’s be real.”
Following his victory on Friday, unified light heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev offered the former actor and rapper a title fight. Showing that the elite fighters in the sport are now wisening up to a huge money-making opportunity by fighting Paul. The question is, will Canelo Alvarez change his stance as he closes in on retirement?
Related: Jake Paul Vs. Mike Tyson Posts Record-Breaking Numbers, Including 60 Million Viewers On Netflix
