An agreement has reportedly been reached for Jake Paul to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a boxing match this May. However, this announcement conflicts with reports naming William Scull and Christian Mbilli as potential opponents for the Mexican boxing star’s next fight, expected on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
The news was first reported by Julius Julianis and reposted by ESPN KnockOut on social media Monday. Julianis, citing a source close to the operation, stated (translated from Spanish): “There is already an agreement for Jake Paul to be Canelo Alvarez’s rival in May of this year.”
Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) is coming off a win by unanimous decision against Mike Tyson in a heavyweight bout last November in Arlington, Texas. The 28-year-old YouTuber turned pro boxer from Cleveland, Ohio also posted on social media Monday, revealing a July 5th date in New York, with the message: “It’s time.”
As the recently shared ‘Jake Paul vs Logan Paul’ face-off poster turned out to be a tease for the reality show Paul American, the July 5th date may not be related to Paul’s next fight.
Current unified WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision last September in Las Vegas. Another report from Monday revealed that a deal for Alvarez’s potential September 2025 fight with Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is nearing finalization.
Meanwhile, Canelo’s trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, recently named Cuban champion William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs), who holds the IBF 168 lbs title, and French-Cameroonian contender Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) as possible opponents for Alvarez’s next fight on May 3.
According to Julianis, the Paul vs Canelo matchup is said to be promoted by Canelo Promotions, Most Valuable Promotions, and Premier Boxing Champions. If the contracts are finalized, an official announcement is expected to follow shortly.