Boxing fans have been clamoring for Jake Paul to get tougher competition in the ring, and, apparently, he was trying.

But after Paul and his team were "deep in negotiations" with current WBO, WBA and WBC super middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez, the reigning champ "ducked" Paul.

Álvarez's former promoter, Eddie Hearn, even said the two reached a deal to fight, but now the bout is off.

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Álvarez has instead signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season to fight in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement released Friday, Paul's Most Valuable Promotions said the fight would have taken place in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend, "a massive event for the Mexican, Puerto Rican and American fans."

"It’s disappointing to see how the situation unfolded. MVP operates with integrity, transparency and respect for the sport, its athletes and the fans. Unfortunately, not everyone in the boxing world shares those values," MVP's statement said.

Paul then took to social media to discuss his side.

"Breaking news: Canelo Alvarez ducked me, Jake Paul, and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil," Paul wrote. "it’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring.

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"I’m the new face of boxing. You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved. When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is. 28 years old. Biggest fight in boxing history. My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in. All of you felines want to see me fail, but God has other plans. It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP."

Paul teased a July event in New York earlier this week.

Álvarez will still fight that weekend, with an opponent to be determined. He's also scheduled for a Sept. 13 title bout against Terence Crawford.

Paul is 11-1 in his career after defeating Mike Tyson, who fell to 50-7, in November.

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Super Bowl Sunday has the potential to be extra special for Saquon Barkley.

For one, he'll be playing for the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. It will also be his 28th birthday.

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However, aside from the coveted trophy, he has a chance to win another grand prize next week: one of Jake Paul's Ferraris.

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Paul gave his word in a social media post last week.

"This is a message for Saquon Barkley and Saquon Barkley only. If you win the Super Bowl MVP, I think you can do it brother … I will give you one of my Ferraris," Paul said in the video.

In a video where Oz The Mentalist visited the Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley was spotted wearing a shirt from Paul's men's personal care brand, W.

Barkley has dominated all season, much to New York Giants fans' chagrin. After the team opted to move off him, he became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Had he not rested in Week 18, he very well could have broken Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record.

In 19 games played this season, including the postseason, Barkley has rushed for 2,447 yards and 18 touchdowns, five of which have come in his last two games.

Seven running backs have won the Super Bowl MVP, but it's been almost 30 years since the last one: Terrell Davis in 1997.

Barkley is 30 yards away breaking Davis' record for the most rushing yards in a season including playoff games. 

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The superstar running back joined the Eagles on a three-year deal this past offseason, and it's proving to be perhaps their best move in recent memory. Out of his 19 games played, he's rushed for 100-plus 12 times and has eclipsed the 200-yard mark twice.

Including the playoffs, Barkley is averaging 128.8 rushing yards per game. So, it's certainly not out of the question that he could break the running back drought.

He'll just have to do it against the back-to-back reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.

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Boxing star Jake Paul was among those who attended Donald Trump’s inauguration at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.

Paul became a staunch supporter of the president as he campaigned against and defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the election in November. The boxing star also celebrated Trump's victory in November, saying "truth and god won in America."

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As he attended Inauguration Day festivities, he fired off two posts on X.

"Today is about togetherness in every way. Fists down, unity up. Honored to be here. God Bless America," he wrote.

"Any American who isn’t in support of Trump after this speech simply hates America and doesn’t want what’s best for this country and the world," he added.

Paul was in Washington, D.C., with his brother Logan and UFC star Conor McGregor. He posted a photo of the group on X as well.

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The boxer had been adamant that God "stepped in and saved" Trump from the July 13 assassination attempt, and said it was a sign to bring him back into office.

"And I'm not even gonna say, like, it's Democrat-Republican, what does it matter? It's the people who are running the government now, the path that they were leading us to was gonna be catastrophic and terrible," he said in July. 

"And I think God really intervened, like, ‘we need this guy right now. Everyone needs to flip sides. We can't have a close election – we need a landslide. We need this guy to come back in and make America great again.’"

Dana White, Miriam Adelson and Wayne Gretzky were the other sports figures seen in the audience at the inauguration.

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