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Tony Bellew has hit back at Jake Paul after the YouTuber-turned-boxer mocked the idea of a fight against the former cruiserweight world champion.
Paul is yet to confirm his next opponent and Bellew's former promoter Eddie Hearn suggested he should face the Liverpudlian, who retired from boxing in 2018 after losing his undisputed cruiserweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
"That's a massive fight, massive," Hearn told Paul, while the pair were promoting Saturday's fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
"He's retired, he's old, he's a former world champion," added Hearn, appearing to mock Paul's choice of opponents.
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Paul responded by saying "who is he?", before Hearn informed him that Bellew was a former world champion that also starred as Ricky Conlan in the 2015 film Creed.
"That's his claim to fame? He was in Creed? He was in Creed, he was in the back, the janitor in the background," added Paul.
"I think I've heard that name, I couldn't put a face to it, though. I know who Usyk is. I wasn't asked about Usyk, I was asked about Bellew."
Bellew took to Twitter on Friday to respond to Paul, posting a picture of himself lifting the WBC cruiserweight belt alongside the caption: “Just in case you needed to know what I look like Jake Paul, this is me!”
Bellew also took a stab at Paul's trainer, BJ Flores, who he beat inside three rounds in 2016 – posting a picture of his victory over the American fighter, alongside the caption: "The other is how ya coach got to know me!
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"Creed was Pretty Ricky Conlan! What this is Tony BELLEW! Do not wake the f****** animal up that’s been dead for years."
Bellew has previously branded Paul a “f****** muppet” after the American claimed to be carrying the sport of boxing.
"You couldn’t carry the jockstrap of a proper BOXER son. Please rephrase point 4!," Bellew responded on Twitter.
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He later explained his reply on the DAZN Boxing Show: "First of all, I've got no hate or malice towards Jake Paul, crack on, do what you're doing, it's great.
"But in no way shape or form can you claim to carry my sport you absolute f*****g muppet, he hasn’t even fought a boxer yet.
"So how can you claim to be carrying my sport when you haven't fought someone who comes from my sport? It's unbelievable.
"I don't wanna jump on the bandwagon that everyone does and just slate him. I don't like the fact it's labelled a boxing match because he's not facing a boxer."
Topics: Tony Bellew, Jake Paul, Eddie Hearn, Boxing
Rory O'Callaghan