Featured Image Credit: iFL TV
Topics: Jake Paul, Boxing, Eddie Hearn
Simon Fearn
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).
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.
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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.
"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.
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“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.”
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.”
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Paul protested: “I mean, the first skill of MMA is boxing. He won the UFC championship with a right hand.”
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.”
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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.
“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.”
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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.