Canelo Alvarez didn't have much time for two ring-crashers attempting to promote the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight, as he kicked the pair out of the ring while giving his post-fight interview after beating Avni Yildirim.
It was very much 'business as usual' for Mexican superstar Canelo in Miami, Florida Satrday night as he earned the 55th win of his career, forcing the outmatched Turk to quit on his stool at the end of the third round - but as he dissected the win in his post-fight interview, a commotion caught the Mexican's eye.
Just behind him in the ring, a pair of unknown masked men were seen wearing T-shirts promoting the upcoming Paul vs. Askren fight on April 17 before Canelo angrily motioned for them to leave, with the broadcast catching audio of the Mexican star appearing to refer to the opportunistic duo as "f*ckers."
The motivations of the pair - beyond simply promoting April's fight - is unclear, but Canelo has made clear his opposition to the current trend of YouTube stars entering the world of boxing, while also reserving some harsh words for the Paul brothers.
Last year, Canelo bemoaned the Paul brothers' newfound influence in the sport, saying that they were "disrespecting boxing".
"I truly believe that it’s a lack of respect. It’s all based on money. It’s all for money. I’m focused right now on other projects," Canelo told TMZ about the potential of a fight with Logan Paul.
"I have other stuff going on, and I would invite him for a sparring session so that he truly knows what it’s all about."
Whether or not this was a coordinated effort by the Pauls to get back at Canelo for some of his prior comments remains to be seen but one can expect that Triller, who will broadcast the April fight between Paul and Askren, would certainly have been pleased with the free advertising.
Also on rt.com ‘Nothing more than a punchbag’: Canelo crushes Yildirim as Turkish challenger forced to quit on stool after three rounds (VIDEO)