JAKE PAUL apologised to fans after knocking out Ryan Bourland in the first round… before calling out Canelo Alvarez.
The YouTuber-turned prizefighter made his return to the ring on the undercard of Amanda Serrano’s Puerto Rico homecoming.
He came into the bout off a first round KO of Andre August in December, the first professional boxer he defeated on his record.
Bourland with a 17-2 record looked on paper to be the toughest test of Paul’s career but in reality it was another write off.
Paul, 27, wasted no time in going after it from the first bell and following an onslaught in the corner, Bourland, 35, dropped to the floor before the referee stepped in.
The American social media sensation was heard apologising to the camera after the two-minute whitewash.
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And he said in the ring afterwards: “I wanted it to be a little longer to give the fans some more time.”
Paul improved his record to 9-1 with Tommy Fury, 24, the only man to defeat him following a split-decision in Saudi Arabia last year.
And he sensationally called out four-division champion Canelo, 33, to renew one of boxing’s fiercest rivalries after Bourland failed to challenge him.
Paul said: “I mean, he was supposed to give it to me, right?
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“This guy has 19 fights, he’s super experienced so I guess we’ve just got to step it up even way more.
“But I’m ready, I’m ready for the big leagues. I’m getting sharp, this is my life now and like I said, I’m on the road to world champion and hey Canelo, stop ducking.
“I know you want it, I know you want it and I’m repping Puerto Rico, you’re repping Mexico so it’s Puerto Rico vs Mexico.”
Paul looks set for a quick turnaround with a summer return and claimed he is the new top dog of the sport.
He said: “I want Canelo, I want all the biggest names. Like I said, I’m the face of this sport. Truly. Who’s doing more for boxing than me?
“I keep on proving myself, time and time again, the most followed boxer, the most viral KOs period and that’s just facts, no one can deny that.
“I’m here to stay, I’m a staple in this game and man, I really want all the smoke so whoever is out there, let’s get it popping.”
Paul was due to act as a co-headliner to Puerto Rican icon Serrano.
But the women’s boxing pioneer was dramatically forced to pull out just moments before her fight with Nina Meinke.
Fans were assured they would receive a full refund as Serrano emotionally addressed the fans in floods of tears, consoled by Paul.
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It then emerged she had to pull out due to injury caused by a chemical used on her hair getting in her eyes when she got it done on Thursday.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
