Many NFL fans presumed Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson would win his second consecutive MVP award in 2024 after being named the league’s All-Pro first team quarterback.

Instead, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen surprisingly edged Jackson to win his first-ever MVP award.

Allen became just the third player in NFL history to win MVP without making the All-Pro first team. The other two were Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who beat All-Pro quarterback Joe Montana for the award in 1987, and Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who shared the award with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2003.

How did Allen pull off the win? Some of the voters split their votes, with Jackson getting the All-Pro nod and Allen earning their MVP vote.

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Among those to take that approach was ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. The former NFL quarterback explained that he differentiated his vote based on ‘the value that the player brought to their football team.’

‘The Bills were the No. 2 seed. Josh had a 40-touchdown, 8-turnover, 14-sack season,’ Orlovsky detailed on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday. ‘The Bills didn’t have an elite defense. The Bills had a very good run game, not a great run game. They didn’t have elite perimeter players in any regard. The way that Josh played this season, and the different style that he played, brought tremendous value to their football team.’

‘Lamar’s season was absolutely sensational,’ Orlovsky added. ‘He was probably the best player in football this year; or Ja’Marr Chase; or Saquon Barkley. But value, and how much you impact your team, who you do it with and who you do it against – that’s where I thought Josh Allen had the upper hand.’

Orlovsky obviously wasn’t alone in his decision. Jackson received 30 first-place votes in the All-Pro voting but saw that number drop to 23 in the MVP voting. Meanwhile, Allen saw his total first-place votes balloon from 18 to 27, allowing him to win the award.

Nonetheless, Orlovsky received pushback from his fellow ESPN hosts and former NFL players Domonique Foxworth and Jeff Saturday, with Foxworth decrying the ‘semantics foolishness’ about value in the discussion.

‘I think both of them had MVP-caliber seasons, but it feels like you’re trying to find a little semantics trap door – so you can give this to him and that to them – because you don’t actually want to say what you really want to say,’ Foxworth said. ‘That Lamar Jackson had the best season this year.’

Shedeur Sanders is among those expected to draw consideration as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

That said, the Colorado quarterback isn’t overly concerned about when he is drafted, as evidenced by his reaction to a question about whether he would hold a grudge if he isn’t selected No. 1 overall.

‘Why would I be mad?’ Sanders responded in an interview with ESPN’s Kevin Clark at Super Bowl 59. ‘I think about it like this. These are good problems to have. You could be in a way worse situation. Being No. 1, that don’t really matter to me at the end of the day.’

What does matter to Sanders then? He cares more about finding the right landing spot to begin his NFL career.

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‘It’s all about fit,’ Sanders said. ‘Any situation you’re going into is not gonna be the best situation. The numbers of it don’t really matter. I ain’t caught up on that.’

Sanders also told Clark that he has a solid relationship with the other players projected to go atop the 2025 NFL draft. That has allowed the group to share information about some of their meetings and communications, which he believes will keep them all at ease as they navigate the uncertainty of the first handful of picks.

Sanders spoke well of Cam Ward, with whom he is working out as each jockeys to be the first quarterback selected. The two have a good-natured relationship, built on some trash-talking that has been demonstrated in some of their workout videos.

‘It’s cool that we’re close because, if we wasn’t, then the media would definitely try to pin us against each other,’ Sanders said of his relationship with Ward. ‘We definitely play around crazy and that’s just the relationship. It’s good that we have a relationship because a lot of people try to take things and put it out of context.’

Time will tell whether Sanders or Ward will come off the board first. USA TODAY’s latest mock draft has Ward beating Sanders for that honor by one pick, with the Cleveland Browns selecting Ward No. 2 overall and the New York Giants taking Sanders at No. 3.

MEDLEY, Fla. – The Lunar Owls remain undefeated in Unrivaled, while the league’s other clubs continue to find their footing as the league approaches the halfway point of the season.

Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier scored the game-winning basket to finish with 20 points, and the Lunar Owls beat the Phantom 94-76 in the first game on Friday night.

Courtney Williams scored 19 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 18 points as the Lunar Owls became the first Unrivaled team to score more than 90 points in a game. The 170 points scored also marked the highest scoring game in Unrivaled’s history.

“You can’t be 7-0 without trusting the ones with you,” Williams said in a postgame interview.

Brittney Griner led the Phantom with 23 points, while Satou Sabally had 17 points and Sabrina Ionescu finished with 13 points. The Phantom fell to 2-5 after the loss to the Lunar Owls.

In the second game, Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 21 points, Chelsea Gray and Azurá Stevens each scored 15 points, and the Rose beat the Mist 71-63.

Stevens scored the game-sealing layup, and was efficient going 6-of-9 shooting with nine rebounds in the win.

Angel Reese added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds, for the Rose, who improved to 3-4 this season with the victory.

Rickea Jackson had 17 points, while Breanna Stewart and Aaliyah Edwards each scored 12 points as the Mist fell to 2-5 this season.

Check out these highlights from Friday’s Unrivaled games:

Unrivaled highlights

Unrivaled final score: Rose 71, Mist 63

Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 21 points, Chelsea Gray and Azurá Stevens each scored 15 points, and the Rose beat the Mist 71-63 in the second game on Friday night.

Angel Reese added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Stevens scored the game-sealing layup for the Rose, who improved to 3-4 this season with the victory.

Rickea Jackson had 17 points, while Breanna Stewart and Aaliyah Edwards each scored 12 points as the Mist fell to 2-5 this season.

Unrivaled score: Rose 60, Mist 47 after third quarter

Target winning score: 71

Kahleah Copper leads four Rose players in double figures with 14 points, Angel Reese has a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and the Rose lead 60-47 heading into the fourth quarter.

Breanna Stewart has 12 points, while Rickea Jackson has 11 points for the Mist.

Unrivaled halftime score: Rose 40, Mist 31

Kahleah Copper and Azura Stevens each scored 10 points, Angel Reese and Chelsea Gray have both scored nine points, and the Rose lead 40-31 over the Mist at halftime.

All six players have scored for the Mist, with Rickea Jackson leading the way with seven points and five rebounds. Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and DiJonai Carrington have each scored six points in the first half.

Unrivaled score: Rose 23, Mist 14 after first quarter

Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper each scored six points, and the Rose lead the Mist 23-14 after the first quarter. Jewell Loyd leads the Mist with six points.

Unrivaled final score: Lunar Owls 94, Phantom 76

Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier scored the game-winning basket to finish with 20 points, and the Lunar Owls remain undefeated with a 94-76 win over the Phantom in the first game on Friday night.

Courtney Williams scored 19 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 18 points as the Lunar Owls became the first Unrivaled team to score more than 90 points in a game.

The 170 points scored also marked the highest scoring game in Unrivaled’s history.

“You can’t be 7-0 without trusting the ones with you,” Williams said in a postgame interview.

Brittney Griner led the Phantom with 23 points, while Satou Sabally had 17 points and Sabrina Ionescu finished with 13 points. The Phantom fell to 2-5.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 83, Phantom 68 after third quarter

Target winning score: 94

The Lunar Owls are in complete control after the third quarter, where they lead 83-68. The first team to reach the target winning score of 94 points wins.

Allisha Gray has 23 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith has 18 points, while Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each have 16 points for the Lunar Owls, who led by as many as 17 points in the quarter.

Brittney Griner leads the Phantom with 23 points.

Unrivaled halftime score: Lunar Owls 53, Phantom 52

Courtney Williams has scored 14 points, including eight straight points before halftime, and the Lunar Owls lead 53-52 over the Phantom after the second quarter.

Allisha Gray has 12 points, while Skylar Diggins-Smith added 10 points, and Napheesa Collier has nine points in the first half.

The Phantom are led by Brittney Griner’s 16 points, while Natasha Cloud has 11 points and six assists.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 32, Phantom 26 after first quarter

Allisha Gray has nine points, while all five Lunar Owls have already scored in the first quarter to take a 32-26 lead over the Phantom. The Lunar Owls’ Shakira Austin ended the quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer.

Brittney Griner has nine points, while Katie Lou Samuelson has eight points for the Phantom.

How to watch Unrivaled games Friday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Friday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

Lunar Owls (6-0) vs. Phantom (2-4) preview

The Lunar Owls are the only unbeaten team in Unrivaled behind their starting lineup of Napheesa Collier, Allisha Grey and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Collier scored 36 points with 12 rebounds, Gray added 20 points, and Diggins-Smith hit her fourth game-sealing shot as the Lunar Owls beat the Vinyl, 85-68, last Monday. Collier has been Unrivaled’s best player, averaging a league-leading 29.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Sabrina Ionescu is expected to play for the Phantom after participating at Super Bowl week in New Orleans. She had a monster game with 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists last Friday against the Rose. Satou Sabally led the Phantom with 22 points, while Brittney Griner had 20 points and eight rebounds in the club’s last game, a loss to the Mist last Monday.

Rose (2-4) vs. Mist (2-4) preview

The Rose and the Mist will meet in the second of two games on Friday night, both coming off their second wins of the season.

The Rose beat the Laces, 83-69, last Saturday as Chelsea Gray scored 28 points, while Azurá Stevens had 23 points and eight rebounds. Angel Reese was ejected for two technical fouls in the second quarter, but had 15 rebounds before her exit.

Breanna Stewart and the Mist beat the Phantom, 64-61, last Monday. Stewart had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to help the Mist win their second straight game after a 0-4 start.

Unrivaled upcoming schedule

Unrivaled will play two more games on Saturday: The Laces will meet the Vinyl first, while the Mist and Lunar Owls meet in the second game.

Then, Unrivaled will begin its 1-on-1 tournament to be played Monday, Tuesday and next Friday.

Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament, what you need to know

Thirty of Unrivaled’s 36 players will participate in the tournament where a $350,000 prize pool is on the line.

The winner of the tournament will win $200,000, the runner-up will receive $50,000, and the other two semifinalists will take away $25,000. Each club teammate of the winner will also receive $10,000.

Is Angel Reese playing tonight?

Yes, Reese and the Rose play in the second game on Friday night.  

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It’s is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

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MEDLEY, Fla. – The Lunar Owls remain undefeated in Unrivaled, while the league’s other clubs continue to find their footing as the league approaches the halfway point of the season.

Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier scored the game-winning basket to finish with 20 points, and the Lunar Owls beat the Phantom 94-76 in the first game on Friday night.

Courtney Williams scored 19 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 18 points as the Lunar Owls became the first Unrivaled team to score more than 90 points in a game. The 170 points scored also marked the highest scoring game in Unrivaled’s history.

“You can’t be 7-0 without trusting the ones with you,” Williams said in a postgame interview.

Brittney Griner led the Phantom with 23 points, while Satou Sabally had 17 points and Sabrina Ionescu finished with 13 points. The Phantom fell to 2-5 after the loss to the Lunar Owls.

In the second game, Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 21 points, Chelsea Gray and Azurá Stevens each scored 15 points, and the Rose beat the Mist 71-63.

Stevens scored the game-sealing layup, and was efficient going 6-of-9 shooting with nine rebounds in the win.

Angel Reese added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds, for the Rose, who improved to 3-4 this season with the victory.

Rickea Jackson had 17 points, while Breanna Stewart and Aaliyah Edwards each scored 12 points as the Mist fell to 2-5 this season.

Check out these highlights from Friday’s Unrivaled games:

Unrivaled highlights

Unrivaled final score: Rose 71, Mist 63

Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 21 points, Chelsea Gray and Azurá Stevens each scored 15 points, and the Rose beat the Mist 71-63 in the second game on Friday night.

Angel Reese added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Stevens scored the game-sealing layup for the Rose, who improved to 3-4 this season with the victory.

Rickea Jackson had 17 points, while Breanna Stewart and Aaliyah Edwards each scored 12 points as the Mist fell to 2-5 this season.

Unrivaled score: Rose 60, Mist 47 after third quarter

Target winning score: 71

Kahleah Copper leads four Rose players in double figures with 14 points, Angel Reese has a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and the Rose lead 60-47 heading into the fourth quarter.

Breanna Stewart has 12 points, while Rickea Jackson has 11 points for the Mist.

Unrivaled halftime score: Rose 40, Mist 31

Kahleah Copper and Azura Stevens each scored 10 points, Angel Reese and Chelsea Gray have both scored nine points, and the Rose lead 40-31 over the Mist at halftime.

All six players have scored for the Mist, with Rickea Jackson leading the way with seven points and five rebounds. Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and DiJonai Carrington have each scored six points in the first half.

Unrivaled score: Rose 23, Mist 14 after first quarter

Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper each scored six points, and the Rose lead the Mist 23-14 after the first quarter. Jewell Loyd leads the Mist with six points.

Unrivaled final score: Lunar Owls 94, Phantom 76

Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier scored the game-winning basket to finish with 20 points, and the Lunar Owls remain undefeated with a 94-76 win over the Phantom in the first game on Friday night.

Courtney Williams scored 19 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 18 points as the Lunar Owls became the first Unrivaled team to score more than 90 points in a game.

The 170 points scored also marked the highest scoring game in Unrivaled’s history.

“You can’t be 7-0 without trusting the ones with you,” Williams said in a postgame interview.

Brittney Griner led the Phantom with 23 points, while Satou Sabally had 17 points and Sabrina Ionescu finished with 13 points. The Phantom fell to 2-5.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 83, Phantom 68 after third quarter

Target winning score: 94

The Lunar Owls are in complete control after the third quarter, where they lead 83-68. The first team to reach the target winning score of 94 points wins.

Allisha Gray has 23 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith has 18 points, while Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each have 16 points for the Lunar Owls, who led by as many as 17 points in the quarter.

Brittney Griner leads the Phantom with 23 points.

Unrivaled halftime score: Lunar Owls 53, Phantom 52

Courtney Williams has scored 14 points, including eight straight points before halftime, and the Lunar Owls lead 53-52 over the Phantom after the second quarter.

Allisha Gray has 12 points, while Skylar Diggins-Smith added 10 points, and Napheesa Collier has nine points in the first half.

The Phantom are led by Brittney Griner’s 16 points, while Natasha Cloud has 11 points and six assists.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 32, Phantom 26 after first quarter

Allisha Gray has nine points, while all five Lunar Owls have already scored in the first quarter to take a 32-26 lead over the Phantom. The Lunar Owls’ Shakira Austin ended the quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer.

Brittney Griner has nine points, while Katie Lou Samuelson has eight points for the Phantom.

How to watch Unrivaled games Friday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Friday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

Lunar Owls (6-0) vs. Phantom (2-4) preview

The Lunar Owls are the only unbeaten team in Unrivaled behind their starting lineup of Napheesa Collier, Allisha Grey and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Collier scored 36 points with 12 rebounds, Gray added 20 points, and Diggins-Smith hit her fourth game-sealing shot as the Lunar Owls beat the Vinyl, 85-68, last Monday. Collier has been Unrivaled’s best player, averaging a league-leading 29.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Sabrina Ionescu is expected to play for the Phantom after participating at Super Bowl week in New Orleans. She had a monster game with 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists last Friday against the Rose. Satou Sabally led the Phantom with 22 points, while Brittney Griner had 20 points and eight rebounds in the club’s last game, a loss to the Mist last Monday.

Rose (2-4) vs. Mist (2-4) preview

The Rose and the Mist will meet in the second of two games on Friday night, both coming off their second wins of the season.

The Rose beat the Laces, 83-69, last Saturday as Chelsea Gray scored 28 points, while Azurá Stevens had 23 points and eight rebounds. Angel Reese was ejected for two technical fouls in the second quarter, but had 15 rebounds before her exit.

Breanna Stewart and the Mist beat the Phantom, 64-61, last Monday. Stewart had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to help the Mist win their second straight game after a 0-4 start.

Unrivaled upcoming schedule

Unrivaled will play two more games on Saturday: The Laces will meet the Vinyl first, while the Mist and Lunar Owls meet in the second game.

Then, Unrivaled will begin its 1-on-1 tournament to be played Monday, Tuesday and next Friday.

Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament, what you need to know

Thirty of Unrivaled’s 36 players will participate in the tournament where a $350,000 prize pool is on the line.

The winner of the tournament will win $200,000, the runner-up will receive $50,000, and the other two semifinalists will take away $25,000. Each club teammate of the winner will also receive $10,000.

Is Angel Reese playing tonight?

Yes, Reese and the Rose play in the second game on Friday night.  

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It’s is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

A Maryland man is facing three federal felony charges for illegally operating a drone during a wild-card playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 11.

Alex Perez Suarez, a 43-year-old Baltimore native, is accused of flying an unregistered drone above M&T Bank Stadium when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had put in place a temporary flight restriction over the venue, according to an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY reporters.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Maryland described temporary flight restrictions in a press release as a ‘standard practice for stadiums or sporting venues’ with outdoor events. The affidavit also outlined that a temporary flight restriction is typically ‘in effect one hour before the scheduled start until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.’

Suarez’s drone flew over M&T Bank Stadium during the third quarter of the contest, snapping seven photos of the stadium and allegedly flying 400 feet above the stadium. NFL security temporarily suspended the game because of the drone, causing a brief delay in the action.

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There is a zero-tolerance policy for any drone or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in the FAA’s ‘No-Drone Zone,’ according to Maryland’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. As a result, Suarez is facing three federal charges stemming from Title 49 U.S.C., as outlined in the affidavit. They are as follows:

Knowing and willful operation of an unregistered aircraft when that aircraft is required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration;
Knowing and willful operation of an aircraft without an airman’s certificate that authorizes the individual to serve in that capacity, when possessing such an airman certificate is required;
Knowing or willful violation of national defense airspace.

Suarez claimed he had purchased the UAS for recreational purposes but also stated he used it for work. The drone was not registered and investigators said Suarez admitted that he did not possess a Remote Pilot Certificate to operate it.

If convicted, Suarez would face a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for knowingly operating an unregistered UAS and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He would also be subject to a maximum of one year in federal prison for willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace.

‘We are very serious about temporary flight restrictions,’ U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said in a statement. ‘You will be charged and held accountable for any incursion into restricted airspace, including around sports and entertainment venues such as the Super Bowl.’

Jake Paul blasted Canelo Álvarez Friday, a day after their negotiations for a blockbuster fight appeared to unravel.

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

MVP Promotions, co-founded by Paul and business partner Nakisa Bidarian, issued a statement saying Paul was “deep in negotiations’ for a blockbuster fight. ESPN reported that Álvarez nixed the deal and signed a deal with Saudi Arabian powerbrokers.

Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced that Álvarez signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Alalshikh said the first fight will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in May. No opponent has been announced.

Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) is widely considered boxing’s biggest star. But Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) declared he is “the new face of boxing’ while also writing, “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.’

Paul noted he is 28 and coming off a victory over Mike Tyson – “Biggest fight in boxing history’ he wrote on X– while adding of himself. ‘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.’

ESPN reported Thursday the two boxers were finalizing a deal but later reported Canelo had nixed the prospective fight. The bout was to be held on Cinco Da Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, according to MVP Promotions.

“We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share are values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters,’ the statement read.

MVP Promotions did not immediately respond to requests for more information about negotiations with Álvarez.

Turki Alalshikh, he chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has announced Álvarez has signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Alalshikh said the first fight will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in May.

That leaves Paul still searching for an opponent more than 2 ½ months since he beat Tyson by unanimous decision Nov. 15.

“Jake Paul isn’t going anywhere, and neither is MVP,’ the MVP Promotions statement read.  “We’ll continue to disrupt boxing on our terms.’

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