Jake Paul vs. Ryan Bourland review: Paul calls out Alvarez after TKO win

Jake Paul says he needs to "step it up even way more" following his first-round TKO victory over Ryan Bourland, and he called out Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez for a potential future fight.

Since moving into the boxing world, the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter has mainly gone up against UFC fighters and his critics were critical that he wasn't taking on actual boxers.

The 27-year-old lost to Tommy Fury, his first opponent boasting any notable boxing experience, but he has managed to bounce back with three victories in a row.

After dispatching Nate Diaz, another fighter from the UFC world, Paul has beaten two actual boxers. He knocked out Andre August before getting the first-round TKO over Bourland and his record now stands at 9-1 (6 KOs).

While August and Bourland are both journeymen and nowhere near the top level of the sport, these are still two decent victories for Paul to have on his CV and thoughts are now going towards the next opponent.

Fast finish in San Juan

Paul, who lives and trains in Puerto Rico, had the San Juan crowd fully behind him, but anyone hoping for a long bout was left disappointed when Bourland lasted just 2:37 of the first round before losing by TKO.

The Problem Child used his jab early on and landed some solid shots to the body, as he outlanded his opponent 24-3 in what was a dominant performance from the American.

It is difficult to know what to take from this fight, given the fact Bourland was stepping into the ring for the first time since 2022, but Paul will nonetheless be happy with his work.

Paul goes for Canelo

After revealing he needs to step it up even more after the victory, Paul was then pressed on who he wants to fight next and while initially reluctant to say a name, he came up with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.

"I guess we just got to step it up even way more," Paul said. "I'm ready for the big leagues. I'm getting sharp. This is my life now.

"Hey, Canelo, stop ducking. I know you want it. I'm repping Puerto Rico; you're repping Mexico. So, it's Puerto Rico versus Mexico."

Now this is certainly a bold move from Paul. Alvarez is one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, with the Mexican having held multiple world championship in four weight classes, ranging from light middleweight to light heavyweight.

The 33-year-old unified titles in three of those weight classes and won lineal titles in two.

He is also the first and only boxer in history to become undisputed champion at super middleweight, having held the WBA (Super version), WBC and Ring magazine titles since 2020, and the IBF and WBO titles since 2021.

It remains to be seen whether Alvarez would even entertain such a fight, but he would be the heavy favorite to come out on top and it would be a monumental upset if Paul defeated him.

Other options for Paul

While Paul is adamant he wants to stick down the path of fighting actual boxers, he has not ruled out the possibility of a big-money bout against an opponent outside of the boxing world.

"If a money fight pops up, I'll take it, because those are fun," Paul said. "For now, I'm staying on the path of fighting real fighters and increasing the level of competition."

One potential opponent for Paul is Indian fight Neeraj Goyat, who has an 18-4 record since becoming pro in 2011 and who has won nine of his last 10 fights.

Goyat called out Paul numerous times on social media in a bid to get a fight set up, but now the two have joined forces with the Indian being signed to the American's boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions.

This would make it easier in negotiations between the pair, although weight could be an issue as Goyat has never fought over the 147lb welterweight limit and started out at 130lb.

Paul, meanwhile, last scaled 199lb and the lowest he has weighed was 183.6lb the night before he lost to Fury, so there is a huge difference between the two fighters.