Canelo Alvarez told TMZ that hobbyists’ attempts to horn in on pro boxing “lack respect”.
Fresh from his impressive decision win over Callum Smith this past weekend, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has been making the media rounds. And when he stopped in with TMZ Sports he was of course asked about the other big name in boxing (currently): Paul.
The 54-1-2 boxer was asked by the gossip outlet what he thought about Logan Paul taking on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout in the New Year, as well as whether he’d consider stepping in the ring opposite a YouTuber.
“I truly believe that it’s a lack of respect. It’s all based on money,” said Alvarez when discussing people like the Paul brothers encroachment on pro boxing (ht Adam Martin/bjpenn.com). “It’s all about money. I’m focused right now on other projects, I have other stuff going on. I would invite them over for a sparring session so they truly know what it’s all about.”
“It’s all about money and I don’t agree with it,” reiterated Alvarez. “I don’t agree that people who are basketball players or who are YouTubers get licenses. This is a very risky sport, so if they’re going out there, it’s risky.”
After he defeated Smith on Saturday, many boxing pundits agreed that Alvarez should be recognized as the greatest boxer on the planet. That win, for the WBA (super), The Ring and WBC super middleweight titles was Alvarez’s fifth win in a row and follows a wicked stoppage over Sergey Kovalev last November.
Alvarez’s only pro loss came against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 (when Alvarez was just 23-years-old).
Mayweather vs. Logan Paul is slated for February and will be fought under ‘exhibition rules’. The last time Mayweather had an exhibition it was against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasakawa. Mayweather won that fight with a quick, and brutal, TKO.
Paul’s younger brother, and fellow YouTube celebrity, Jake Paul recently broke the internet with a crushing KO of former NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Since that moment Paul the Younger has been calling out fighters from the world of MMA.