YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul has quickly risen to fame in boxing circles, thanks to his unconventional matchups and relentless self-promotion. But does that meteoric rise mean he’s surpassed the legends who built the sport? ‘The Problem Child’ certainly seems to think so. In doing so, he’s stirred controversy by seemingly placing himself above icons like Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and Muhammad Ali.
The 28-year-old is scheduled to lock horns with former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday, June 28th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The fight follows Paul’s record-breaking matchup against heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last November in Texas, which seems to have given Paul an inflated sense of ego. While appearing in an interview with DAZN ahead of his fight, he explained why he is the only one protecting the sport.
“I feel like I’m the only one doing it,” Paul said when asked what it means for him to protect the sport of boxing. “Everyone else is just trying to gate-keep or say that they’re doing things for the sport, or something is bad for boxing. But I’m the greatest thing to happen to boxing since Muhammad Ali, and there’s no debating that.” Paul justified his claim by highlighting the things he has done for the sport.
“ What I’ve done speaks for itself. No other fighter is building gyms. Getting boxing gloves into the hands of kids, throwing multiple events a year, donating my whole purse back into my own charity when I fought in Puerto Rico, taking women from getting paid a thousand dollars to five, six, seven million,” Paul continued. While Paul might think he is the only one doing such things, Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Anthony Joshua, and several others are involved in similar initiatives.
Regardless, while Paul hasn’t received a reality check for his latest comments, his upcoming opponent didn’t miss the opportunity to mock him for other claims he has made.
Jake Paul gets made fun of by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
‘The Problem Child’ became the center of jokes ahead of his upcoming fight when Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. took digs at him. The former middleweight champion doesn’t seem impressed with Paul’s intentions to fight WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis later this year, especially since he is standing in the way.
Credits- IMAGO
Chavez Jr. didn’t hold back in a recent media scrum, mocking Paul’s ambitions. “He’s so stupid with those comments. He wants to fight Gervonta, he wanna fight Usyk, he wanna fight, I don’t know. After the 28th, maybe he never fights again,” Chavez Jr. said. Notably, for the Davis fight to happen, even ‘Tank’ has to get past Lamont Roach Jr. in their rematch.
That said, it appears Jake Paul truly believes he is the best thing to have happened to boxing since Muhammad Ali. While he should have an opinion, Paul might be stepping on some toes with his. Do you agree with Paul?
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