Jake Paul eyes fight with current No. 1 boxer after Canelo Alvarez bout falls through

Jake Paul may have found his next opponent, as he’s reportedly close to finalizing a deal to face a current No. 1 world-ranked boxer after talks with Canelo Alvarez fell through.

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Jake Paul, American boxer and influencer

After his fight against Canelo Alvarez fell through, Jake Paul began eagerly searching for a new rival. Now, he has reportedly chosen his next opponent—none other than a current No. 1 ranked boxer.

In recent months, Jake Paul has called out several boxers in hopes of locking in his first bout of the year. Surprisingly, Canelo Alvarez was set to fight him, but the highly anticipated matchup never materialized.

The Mexican superstar had reportedly agreed to face the YouTuber in May, but within 24 hours, he changed his mind and chose William Scull as his next opponent instead. This left Jake Paul hanging, but it now seems he has found a replacement for Alvarez.

Jake Paul eyes No.1-ranked boxer as his first opponent of 2025

Jake Paul went from watching his dream come true to seeing it quickly unravel. The YouTuber has pursued a bout with Canelo Alvarez throughout his entire boxing career, and just when it seemed like it would finally happen, the opportunity vanished.

A few weeks ago, several reports indicated that Alvarez had agreed to face Paul in an exhibition match. However, the Mexican champion ultimately opted for a professional bout against William Scull, leaving Paul without an opponent to kick off 2025.

While Paul is still frustrated with Alvarez’s team for backing out, he hasn’t stopped searching for his next big fight. Now, his team believes they’ve found the right name—though it certainly won’t be an easy one.

Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s business partner and co-owner of Most Valuable Promotions, has revealed that the influencer may soon face Gervonta Davis. His team sees this as a huge opportunity to test himself against a top-tier talent and boost his boxing credibility.

Gervonta Davis smiles in a clinch with Lamont Roach Jr. during their bout for Davis’ WBA lightweight title at Barclays Center on March 01, 2025 in New York City.

“The reality is we spent a lot of time with Al Hayman and PBC trying to make the Canelo fight happen and we want to be supportive of what they’re doing across the board,” Bidarian told The Sun. “Gervonta Davis, other than Jake Paul, is the only American pay-per-view box office star.

“Gervonta has called Jake a clown multiple times and said he could beat him with one hand tied behind his back. So, it’s not like the guys are massive fans of each other, but they also have respect and understand that the two of them are the standalone kind of massive fighters from the US.”

Davis is currently the No. 1 ranked lightweight boxer. While he and Paul compete in different weight classes—Davis in lightweight and Paul in cruiserweight—the former has reportedly expressed interest in the fight, believing his superior skillset would give him the edge despite the size difference.