"I was looking forward to that" - Joe Calzaghe weighs in on Canelo Alvarez avoiding Jake Paul fight, calls it a missed opportunity to "shut him up"

Canelo Alvarez appeared close to agreeing a deal to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in May, marking what would have been a pivotal moment for the 'sweet science'. While many boxing fans were glad that the bout did not materialize, Hall of Famer and former world champion Joe Calzaghe had hoped the bout would go ahead.

Calzaghe's comments came in an interview with BoxingScene, during which he shared his desire for the Mexican superstar to shut Paul up once and for all. 'The Problem Child' has ruffled the feathers of boxers and fans with his strategy for picking opponents. The former Disney star opted to mainly face former fighters with massive profiles who were passed their primes, such as Mike Tyson and Anderson Silva.

Paul's decision to fight legends of combat sport has seen him garner much criticism, and Calzaghe shared his disappointment with Alvarez choosing to sign a deal with Turki Alalshikh instead of facing 'The Problem Child'.

He said:

"It's interesting, with the Jake Paul thing, if Canelo had gone in there, smashed him up and shut him up, I was looking forward to that. Not really as a fight because I don't think it would have been a fight. But him putting the record straight regarding boxers and [Jake Paul] picking on Mike Tyson. Bless [Tyson], when he was nearly 60 years old and he bashed him up. So that would have been interesting."

The first fight on Alvarez's contract with Alalshikh will see him clash with William Scull on May 3.

Check out the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull fight poster below:

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Turki Alalshikh unpacks how he signed Canelo Alvarez to four-fight mega-deal

Canelo Alvarez signed a massive four-fight deal with new boxing powerhouse Turki Alalshikh. The super middleweight champion is arguably the biggest star in the sport, and his acquisition would be game-changing for any fight promoter.

It appeared that Alvarez was nearing a deal to fight Jake Paul. But instead, he signed a contract with Alalshikh at the last minute. Following the signing of Alvarez, the Saudi Arabian advisor was interviewed by Ring Magazine about how the deal came into place.

He said:

"I called Canelo directly and I said to him, 'Hello, brother. You know this [Jake Paul] fight will damage the pictures and the idea for our plan. Honestly, I think as Canelo, you are too young to take this fight.' ... And we discuss, and in five minutes we closed the deal."

Catch Turki Alalshikh discussing signing Canelo Alvarez below: