It has been an unexpected build-up to the blockbuster clash between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Given their long, illustrious career, ever since the September 13th bout was announced, fans braced for a war of words and mounting tension. Surprisingly, the opposite has unfolded, with both fighters keeping things unexpectedly civil, though they aren’t very big trash-talkers.

On Friday, this rivalry took another unexpected, wholesome turn when the duo shared dinner alongside His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, a moment shared by Ring Magazine on its social media. Fans, who were expecting a heated press conference to build hype for their upcoming bout, flooded the post with criticism. Instead of fiery tension, this display of camaraderie has cooled the anticipated intensity of the showdown.

Well, it turns out fans are not the only ones agitated by this kinship. A few hours after Ring Magazine uploaded the picture, Jake Paul chimed in to criticize the friendly dinner. In a now-deleted tweet, reposted by the Happy Punch Instagram page, The Problem Child wrote, “That’s some goofy s**t,” terming the dinner as childish. Jake Paul is an expert in trash-talking, face-offs, and psychological warfare ahead of a match. And so it’s not surprising that he would hate this level of civility.

“Imagine Messi and Ronaldo grabbing dinner before a legit match against each other,” he added. With the scale of their bout, the duo has the chance to attract casual viewers to the sport. Yet, they are doing nothing particularly combative in an effort to hype it. Maybe they don’t need it the way other fights do.

Still, Jake Paul concluded his rant with “Goofy,” passing the final verdict on the rivalry so far. This was not just a criticism, but a message to the two juggernauts to step up their game. Recently, the Omaha native took a stab at igniting the spark, and it hit the mark perfectly.

Terence Crawford flipped the script on Canelo Alvarez

On Thursday, Crawford reached Riyadh to attend the official press conference. He recorded a personalized message for all the fans to give them the update. “What’s up, everybody? Just made it to Riyadh. Check out the press conference on Ring Social,” he said on a video uploaded by the Saudi Royal, urging fans to switch on the 20th June press conference.

However, he immediately let go of all the fellowship, completely flipping the narrative around the bout. “Crawford-Canelo, not Canelo-Crawford! This Friday!” he declared confidently. So far, every media outlet and expert has painted Canelo Alvarez as the face of this clash. He is the favorite, is getting a better payday, and has a dream contract with the Riyadh Season, so that made sense.

However, Terence Crawford made sure to let everyone know that he is not going to take a backseat. Especially in a fight that is made possible because of his efforts. Canelo Alvarez never wanted this fight. It was the Omaha native chasing it, and his hard work is finally bearing fruit, and he is not going to let the Mexican take over.

One simple sentence was all it took to bring a bit of heat back to this rivalry. Honestly, that is all that takes. Fans need to know that these two care about the stakes and are ready to leave everything on the canvas. While His Excellency’s intentions were of goodwill, the dinner just made it seem like we were switching in for a friendly clash.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts down below.