Featured Image Credit: Hasim Rahman Jr/Twitter. Jake Paul/Twitter.
Topics: Boxing, Hasim Rahman Jr, Jake Paul, Australia
Jayden Collins
Topics: Boxing, Hasim Rahman Jr, Jake Paul, Australia
Hasim Rahman Jr has fired back at Jake Paul after claiming the internet sensation’s explanation of the situation was ‘internet cap’, instead blamed the cancellation on the YouTuber himself.
The fight was scheduled to take place this weekend on August 6 at Madison Square Garden, however, Paul’s promotion team, Most Valuable Promotions, announced on July 30 that the fight and card were getting canned.
Paul quickly took to Twitter to place the blame solely on Rahman Jr and his team, claiming the fighter didn’t want to drop to the initially agreed upon 200lbs weight, instead wanting to fight at 215lbs after failure to lose weight.
In a video posted to Twitter, Paul said: “Whatever, I know I can still beat his a** at 205lbs.
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“And that was that. We moved forwards. And then today out of nowhere his team called and said Hasim’s not going lower than 215lbs. If the fight’s not at 215lbs then we’re pulling out. My manager goes ‘f**k you guys’… this is clearly an excuse.”
Rahman Jr has now come out to defend himself, also taking to Twitter to post a video explaining his version of events, captioning it: “Jake don’t want no mf smoke.”
In a series of videos, he says: “Jake and his ‘team’ cancelled this fight, not me! The fight isn’t happening on their accord not MINE! I'm a bridgerweight, otherwise known as heavyweight outside the WBC, I signed the contract to make 200 lbs in the three weeks, but my body wouldn't let me do it.
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“Where in boxing do you see them cancel fights a week in advance? There are penalties involved, I'll fight you for the $5,000 minimum. I'd beat this man with one hand, just like I did in the gym. He said he beat my arse at 230, so what's the problem fighting me at 215 or 210, it's clearly them not wanting to fight, it's them not wanting the fight.
“I never said I didn't want this fight. I conclude they're scared, they tried to drain me down. I told them I couldn't get all the way down to cruiserweight, it's an astronomical feat, I'd have to lose a pound per day over 30 days to make 200 lbs.
“Still, if I didn't make the weight, we had a replacement on the side, the Muslim boxer, Muhsin Cason, he campaigns at cruiserweight, he didn't need to drain himself, he could have saved the show. But he doesn't want to fight a real fight, a real boxer, he wanted to drain me down and fight a shell of me. I’m not going to let him do that.”
Most Valuable Promotions had recently called Rahman Jr’s actions ‘deceiving and calculated’ and called for the boxing community to hold him ‘liable for his lack of professionalism’.
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Whether or not, the blame is on Paul or his opponents, he is having a string of bad luck with Rahman Jr the second rival to pull out of a fight in a matter of months.
Tommy Fury was set to face Paul on August 6 but pulled out, citing visa issues as not allowing him from entering the United States.
A new opponent for Jake Paul is yet to be announced.