Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has appeared opposite YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul in a hilarious interview, in which he laid into Paul for his ambitions to become a world champion boxer. You can watch the clip below:
The pair appeared together at a news conference for the upcoming fight between undisputed champions Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, who will become the first female boxers to headline Madison Square Gardens tomorrow (30 April).
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Paul is representing Serrano while Hearn is in Taylor’s corner, and the two men agreed to a $1 million bet that their fighter would win the bout.
Speaking to iFL TV at the event, Hearn took the opportunity to completely annihilate Paul’s own ambitions to become a world champion boxer.
Paul – who currently has a 5-0 boxing record – vowed in a Q&A on his YouTube channel last year to reach 10 fights undefeated, 'maybe taking a world championship belt from somebody just to say I did it'.
He told iFL TV while standing alongside Hearn: "He says I can't become a world champion and I'm going to become a world champion.
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"Couple of fights, seven, maybe eight more fights left."
Immediately striking a patronising tone, Hearn said: “Everyone’s entitled to have a dream. I think there’s absolutely no way he can beat a world champion and become world champion.
“I will say he’s improving a lot, he’s dedicated to the sport. I don’t how good he is because he hasn’t faced a real fighter yet. It’s not his fault, he signed to fight Tommy Fury.”
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Paul’s face could be seen to visibly fall as Hearn talked, until he eventually interjected: “A five-time world champion in Tyron Woodley is a real fighter.”
Hearn, however, was having none of it.
He said: “He’s not a real boxer.”
Paul protested: “I mean, the first skill of MMA is boxing. He won the UFC championship with a right hand.”
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The YouTuber then tried a different tack, asking: “Do you consider Tommy Fury a real boxer?”
Hearn shot back: “Not in terms of ability.”
Paul then asked Hearn to define what he meant by a real boxer, to which he responded: “A real boxer is someone who that is his craft.”
Hearn continued: “I’ll give you the props, I’ll give you the respect, you’re improving all the time, but the proof will be in the pudding.
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“By the way I’ve said that I think Jake Paul is better than some fighters, but I don’t think you will ever get close to being a world-class fighter.”
Oof.
Boxing fans loved watching the brutal takedown, with one writing: “Fair play Eddie saying it to his face.”
Another wrote: “Eddie’s telling it how it is there, fair play, Jake Paul dream on.”
A third added: “Jake is a strong lad and can definitely punch but there’s levels to this s***! He’ll get found out first half decent boxer he fights mark my words.”
You can watch the full clip here.
Featured Image Credit: iFL TVTopics: Jake Paul, Boxing, Eddie Hearn