Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Jake Paul are unlikely to ever face off in a real fight, but that hasn’t stopped them from engaging in verbal sparring.
Their history goes back to the exhibition boxing match between Mayweather and Jake’s brother, Logan Paul, in June 2021. During the pre-fight press conference, Jake Paul famously stole Mayweather’s hat, leading to a near brawl. Mayweather and Logan Paul then went the distance in an exhibition bout without official scoring.
Mayweather, officially retired but still active in exhibition matches globally, recently appeared on The Tonight Show. When asked about fighting Jake Paul, he quickly dismissed the idea.
“Easy,” Mayweather stated. “Too easy. At 48, too easy.”
Paul responded on Thursday, labeling Mayweather a “bum” and boldly predicting he would knock out the boxing icon in under two rounds.
Jake Paul, the influencer-turned-boxer, is coming off a high-profile fight with heavyweight legend Mike Tyson. Despite criticism of Paul’s victory over the 58-year-old Tyson, the Netflix-streamed event reportedly broke viewership records.
However, these numbers don’t impress Mayweather, a pay-per-view king in combat sports. He downplayed the popularity of Paul vs. Tyson, arguing that his fights were more significant due to the premium price fans paid to watch him.
“I’m hesitant to comment because anything I say will be criticized,” Mayweather admitted.
“Essentially, free boxing events can attract massive viewership, but when it comes to Floyd Mayweather, you pay to watch. I generated pay-per-view records. Look at the numbers.”
