Boxing and a little drama mixed, and you’ve got a recipe for a blockbuster fight. If you thought 2024 was wild, with Oleksandr Usyk sending Tyson Fury down the rabbit hole twice and a YouTuber outpointing the legendary Mike Tyson, 2025 continues that boxing never runs out of spice. Now let me tell you something. Remember last year when everyone was buzzing about a potential Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez showdown? Fans wanted it for two big reasons. First, it’s a clash of champions from different weight classes—an instant thriller. Second, let’s be real—both names are massive, and people love a good spectacle.

Now, with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and UFC Prez Dana White launching their new boxing league, they plan to change the boxing scenario. This means bigger fights, bigger paydays, and bigger names. But who are the boxers with bigger names, actually? If you think it’s all about seasoned pros lacing up the gloves, think again. Michael Jai White has a take that might surprise you—and you just might agree.

Michael Jai White’s comment might ruffle Canelo Alvarez

A few days ago, DjVlad invited the Hollywood icon on his podcast. In the recent chat, Vlad made an eye-opening point about boxing’s biggest star right now. Vlad kicked things off by saying that boxers, in general, are bigger stars than MMA fighters. But Michael wasn’t completely on board with that take. “No, I wouldn’t say that,” he bluntly stated.

But then, he acknowledged that “historically”, yeah, boxing has had some massive names. Yes. Carlos Adames, Evander Holyfield, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, you name it. He had a point, though. But when it comes to “right now”, things get a little tricky. Vlad asked him who the most popular boxer is today, and after thinking about it, Michael said, “Well, legitimate boxer is Canelo [Alvarez].”

Vlad threw in Gervonta Davis, but even he admitted that while Tank is big in boxing circles, “he’s not bigger than boxing.”

Then, the 57-year-old dropped the bomb. The most popular boxer in the world?

“There’s a guy named Jake Paul,” he revealed.

Vlad sat with it for a second and then agreed. “Yeah, actually, you’re right. The guy who just beat Mike Tyson… is Jake Paul.” And honestly? It makes sense. Love him or hate him, Jake Paul puts on a show. People want to watch him fight. And as Michael put it, “That’s a trip.”

Sure, it might be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s the cold, hard truth. He might not be a legitimate boxer, but he knows how to sell a fight, how to secure a big match, and he makes sure whatever fight he arranges brings the highest revenues.

According to CBS News, The Problem Child begged a whopping $40 million, whereas Iron Mike Tyson bagged $20 million from the fight night at AT&T Stadium, Arlington. And Canelo Alvarez? Only made $35 million after fighting Edgar Berlanga last year. Do you get the comparison now? Well, if you do, guess what?

Joe Rogan sees it, too!

Joe Rogan Bets on Jake Paul

If you don’t remember, a few days ago, there was talk of a Jake Paul vs. Canelo fight. But that quickly ended when Canelo signed a massive four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season. That didn’t sit well with Paul, who’s always looking for a big-name fight.

Joe Rogan, however, thinks this fight could still happen. On his podcast, he told Peter Berg that Canelo originally agreed to fight Jake Paul before his Saudi deal. Berg called it “ridiculous,” but Rogan said he’d love to watch it. He even believed El Gallo could last a few rounds against the Mexican champion because of his size.

Let’s not forget that Jake Paul was at 227 lbs when he defeated Iron Mike in November last year. So it’s natural the 11-1,7 KO has some size advantage over the Guadalajara native. However, his popularity doesn’t die there. Here’s more.

The entire boxing community couldn’t believe how wild that November fight night was at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Critics had plenty to say about the matchup, and Gervonta “Tank” Davis didn’t hold back either. “I’ll beat the brakes off of him. When I catch him, uppercut, jab, left hook, uppercut, then just watch,” Tank declared.

Fast forward to now, the WBA Lightweight Champion nearly saw his title slip through his fingers when he faced Lamont Roach Jr. After the fight, when asked who he wanted next, Tank played it coy: “I think he was here. He came in my locker room.”

When the journalist suggested Shakur Stevenson, he shut that down, saying, “He wasn’t in my locker room.” But when Jake Paul’s name came up? Tank simply responded, “Next question.” Was that a hint? Maybe. But let’s be real—seeing a 135-lb Tank take on a 227-lb Jake Paul would be pure chaos. Then again, it’s Jake Paul. And if he fights, you can bet people will tune in.

So, what do you think? Is Jake Paul truly the biggest name in boxing? Or does someone else have the potential to surpass his popularity?