Jake Paul was scheduled to face Hasim Rahman Jr on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. However, after a dispute about weight, the fight was called off.
Paul was initially scheduled to face Tommy Fury, but he reportedly could not get into the United States.
MVP Promotions, who was promoting the event, announced on Saturday that they would pay the undercard fighters 50% of their contracted purse.
Below is a statement from MVP Promotions about their decision to pay undercard fighters:
“The undercard boxers who were set to fight today as part of the Jake Paul & Amanda Serrano MVP event spent countless hours training both physically and mentally to prepare to fight on one of the biggest stages of their careers. These undercard fighters abided by the terms of their contracts and Jake and MVP are extremely disappointed that the event cancellation adversely impacted them.
“Amanda Serrano, Ashton Sylve and Brandun Lee are in the process of rescheduling their bouts against their respective opponents. All other undercard fighters of the event will be receiving a payment directly from Jake Paul of 50% of their contracted purse amount and are free of any contractual obligations to the promotion.
“We remain committed to ensuring fair fighter compensation and look forward to putting together our next event.”
On August 6, Jake Paul was scheduled to face his first real boxer in Hasim Rahman Jr at Madison Square Garden. However, according to Paul’s MVP Promotions, Rahman could not make the agreed-upon weight, and now the fight is off.
Paul was originally scheduled to face Tommy Fury, but he reportedly could not get into the United States.
Here is a statement from MVP Promotions on the cancellation of Paul-Rahman:
“On July 5, Hasim Rahman, Jr. signed a bout agreement to fight Jake Paul on August 6th at Madison Square Garden at a maximum weight of 200 lbs. At the time of signing Rahman provided evidence of his weight to give comfort to Most Valuable Promotions and the New York State Athletic Commission that he would not be losing more than 10% of his weight over the 4 weeks leading up to the fight. Since weighing in at 216 lbs on July 7, Rahman and his camp have offered assurance after assurance publicly and privately that he was on track to make weight at the weigh-in on August 5th, going as far as to provide a letter signed by a recognized nutritionist that his weight cut was progressing without issue per New York State Athletic Commission’s required weekly weight checks. In the last 48 hours, it has become clear that these assurances were not made in good faith.
“On Friday, Rahman submitted a weight check to the New York State Athletic Commission that demonstrated he had lost less than 1 pound since originally signing to take the fight 24 days prior. This prompted the Commission to declare that it would not sanction the fight at less than 205 lbs. Still, Jake Paul was prepared to move forward with the fight at this new weight and a new contract was sent to Rahman’s promoter reflecting a 205 lbs. limit, imposing strict penalties should he fail to make weight. Upon receiving this new contract Saturday morning, Rahman’s camp indicated for the very first time that he planned to weigh 215 lbs. at the official weigh-in and would not agree to weigh-in at 205 pounds and informing Most Valuable Promotions that they are pulling out of the fight unless the fight was agreed to at 215 pounds.
“MVP and Jake Paul will not reward someone that has conducted themselves in such a deceiving and calculated manner. Therefore, MVP is left with no choice but to cancel the August 6th event. This forced outcome impacts Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and every other fighter on this card who have trained tirelessly over the past few months for this event. The boxing community must hold Hasim Rahman Jr. liable for his lack of professionalism. There has been endless work, time, and money put into building this event and we want to thank our team, Showtime, Madison Square Garden, Holden Boxing and all of our partners for their continued support. Above everything we want to thank our fans for their commitment to the athletes and the sport of boxing.”
The verbal jabs continued one week ahead of the Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr. mega-fight as Rahman Jr. participated in an open media workout Tuesday night at DLX Boxing in Las Vegas. He wasted little time dissing Paul as a “mockery of our sport” saying he respected Paul’s work ethic, but that he is looking to “expose him for the fraud he is.”
The cruiserweight clash scheduled for eight rounds will take place on Saturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Here is what the principals had to say Tuesday night:
Hasim Rahman Jr.
Photo: Al Powers for Showtime Boxing.
“We’ve had an amazing camp and I just want to thank my team. From my track coach to my strength and conditioning, all my coaches have been there for me. Just taking care of every little thing down to my nutritionist preparing my meals. Everyone is in sync and we’re ready to go.
“There’s nothing Jake Paul does that concerns me. I’m just super confident going into this fight. I feel like this guy is not at my level. He made a mistake picking me.
“Being in Vegas is amazing. My family and I came here because of boxing and we’ve been training for what could be the biggest fight of the year. It’s on me now and I have Vegas on my back. I have a lot of support and this is my home. I love it here. There’s not a better place to be and then to go from here to the mecca of boxing next week is just a beautiful thing. It’s poetry in motion.
“Fighting in Madison Square Garden happened so fast – I didn’t think it would happen so fast. But it’s here and I’m ready and I know what I signed up for. We’re going to go in there and make it look easy.
“I respect his work ethic but come August 6 I look to expose him for the fraud he is.
“It’s similar to when my father knocked out Lennox Lewis. He had a target on his back. I’m looking to do the same thing and to get that target on my back so I can fight for a world championship.
“I just have one final message: Jake Paul is going to fall!”
Hasim Rahman Sr.
Photo: Al Powers for Showtime Boxing.
“We’re looking forward to knocking Jake out. I feel like when you get a certain status you start feeling you’re invincible. You start thinking you can do it all. But it’s one thing to say something, and another thing to go out there and do it. So when he has to go out and do it, he’s going to realize it wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be. Once he wakes up.
“I just feel like we don’t have to look for a KO. I just feel like we have superior boxing skills. His boxing IQ is much greater than Jake Paul’s and I just personally feel like the knockout is going to come.
“Timing beats speed. We got the bigger, stronger fighter. We’ve got the reach advantage. We control the distance of the fight. We control how this fight goes. If we want to make it a slugfest, we will make it a slugfest. If we want to make it a boxing clinic, we’ll make it a boxing clinic. It all depends on what style we want to fight. The fight you are going to see will be dictated by us.
“We’re not really concerned with Jake Paul’s power. We don’t need to show how good our chin is. We don’t need to show what his right hand can do. What we can do is take his right hand away from him. We aren’t going to get hit with the right hand, but if we do we are going to fire back with our own counter. It’s going to be an interesting fight. Jake Paul can fight. Don’t get it twisted. But I’m not impressed by the knockouts he’s had. I don’t really feel like he’s knocked out a fighter yet.”
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will step up his level of competition when he faces heavy-handed Hasim Rahman Jr., son of the legendary former two-time heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman, on Saturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Madison Square Garden in New York City in a cruiserweight bout scheduled for eight rounds.
Rounding out the SHOWTIME PPV undercard are separate bouts involving two of the sport’s most exciting and rapidly rising prospects. Unbeaten knockout artist Brandun Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) and quick-fisted Ashton Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs) will look to take the next steps in their accelerated developments before Paul and Rahman Jr. settle their differences, and Serrano defends her Featherweight belts.
Paul, 25, was originally slated to face Tommy Fury, but according to Fury, he is unable to enter the United States.
“Fury fumbled the bag for the second time in a row and went into hiding, so I’m going to step up, again, and take on a new opponent on short notice,” said Paul. “Nothing but respect for Hasim Rahman Jr., a professional heavyweight boxer with a 12-1 record who comes from a legendary boxing family. He’s bigger, he’s stronger and he’s more experienced. But guess what? I’m crazier. I’m raising the stakes and on August 6, I will get my respect under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.”
The 6-foot-3 Rahman Jr., who has fought as heavy as 278 pounds and has campaigned exclusively at heavyweight in his pro career, steps in for Tommy Fury, who withdrew from a bout with the famous influencer for the second time in eight months.
“Jake Paul and I sparred two years ago and let’s just say I took it easy on the kid,” said Rahman Jr. “August 6 is not a sparring session. I am going to separate him from God’s conscience. My name is Hasim Rahman Jr., and I am going to knock out Jake Paul. Period.”
Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) and Rahman Jr. (12-1, 6 KOs) are familiar with one another from their days as sparring partners. The 31-year-old Rahman Jr. helped Paul prepare for his pro debut against AnEsonGib, which Paul won in spectacular fashion via first-round knockout in January 2020. When Rahman Jr. sparred Paul again to help him get ready for his second fight against the NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson later that year, Rahman Jr. praised his opponent for improving both his technique and punching power. Paul detonated a right hand that knocked Robinson out in the second round of their bout.
Rahman Jr. is inarguably the most experienced boxer on Paul’s professional resume. Rahman Jr. studied his craft under the tutelage of famed trainers like Emanuel Steward and Calvin Ford, learning how to fight ambidextrously, something his famous father never did. After growing up in the sport, Rahman Jr. amassed around 100 amateur fights, winning the prestigious Junior National Golden Gloves and Junior National Police Athletic League championships. Rahman Jr. turned pro in 2017 and jumped out to a 12-0 record with six knockouts, showcasing deft footwork and heavy hands.
In his most recent bout in April, however, Rahman Jr. was stopped controversially in the fifth round by James McKenzie Morrison, son of former heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison. When the referee waived off the fight with Rahman Jr. on his feet, Rahman Jr. complained bitterly in the ring that he should have been allowed to continue against Morrison, who improved to 20-0-2 with 18 KOs.
Now, Rahman Jr. steps into this high-profile SHOWTIME PPV main event bout at Madison Square Garden with hopes of notching a turnaround win in the same fashion as his famous father and namesake. After suffering knockout losses in 1998 and 1999, Rahman stormed to prominence in 2001 when he decked Lennox Lewis with an overhand right in the fifth round to win the Unified Heavyweight World Championship in South Africa. In 2005, Rahman became a two-time heavyweight champion when he won a vacant title against Monte Barrett.
Lee, 23, has won 15 of his last 16 fights by knockout and has shown both one-punch power and the ability to out-box his opponents. He most recently dominated tough veteran Zachary Ochoa in April and has quickly established himself as one of the most talented 140-pounders in the division.
Sylve, 18, is the first prospect signed by MVP and already finds himself boxing on the biggest stage in the world at Madison Square Garden on SHOWTIME PPV. The undefeated teenage sensation has stopped all of his opponents inside of four rounds with his quick-trigger reflexes, high boxing IQ, and heavy hands. He recently knocked out Giovanni Gutierrez in the first round in May during his MVP debut at lightweight.
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will take on longtime nemesis and undefeated pro boxer Tommy “TNT” Fury, and Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano will defend her Unified Featherweight World Title against power-punching Argentine Brenda “La Pumita” Carabajal in co- main events at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV.
Paul and Fury were originally slated to settle their differences in December, but Fury withdrew from the bout because of a medical issue. Paul went on to record a scintillating one-punch knockout of Tyron Woodley who stepped in as a late replacement for a rematch of the pair’s August 2021 clash. While Paul expressed little interest in granting Fury another opportunity, he has since changed his mindset. The Sports Illustrated 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year wants to punish Fury for withdrawing from their December fight and to silence the naysayers who have questioned the quality of his opposition so far in his young career. The 25-year-old Cleveland native started his pro boxing journey in January 2020 and is facing an opponent in Fury who is a more experienced boxer than he has faced and comes from a renowned boxing family.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to say yes to another potential matchup against Tommy after he pulled out of our matchup last year,” said Paul, who will face Fury in a scheduled eight-round cruiserweight bout. “But ultimately, knocking out a Fury was too appealing to pass up. I’ve proven I am dedicated to boxing in and out of the ring, from promoting fights, championing fighters and fighter pay, to knocking out my opponents. The Furys cannot say the same, they are selfish tossers. On August 6, at the mecca, Madison Square Garden, the world will see why I am on my way to being a world champion. I’m honored to fight under the same lights as some of the greatest professional boxers in history.”
The half-brother of WBC Heavyweight World Champion Tyson Fury, Tommy won four of his first five bouts by stoppage after turning pro in 2018 and most recently dominated a 10-1 opponent in April to capture his eighth win in front of 94,000 fans. Fighting out of Manchester, England, Fury started boxing at 12 years old and won two regional titles, reaching the U.K. national final in 2016.
“The Paul brothers’ boxing charade is about to come to an end once and for all,” Fury said. “I am a boxer. My opponent plays boxing. Jake Paul has been dressed up to look like a boxer against retirees from other sports. On August 6, I will show the world that he does not belong in the ring. Thank you to my promoter Frank Warren, Most Valuable Promotions and SHOWTIME® for letting me permanently shut up Jake Paul. I look forward to headlining Madison Square Garden and knocking out this clown.”
After knocking out British YouTube star AnEsonGib in his boxing debut and defeating former NBA star Nate Robinson with a highlight-reel knockout, Paul made quick work of former MMA champion Ben Askren in April 2021 with a first-round knockout. Paul has since defeated Woodley twice on SHOWTIME PPV – the second time with one of the most devastating knockouts in recent memory in front of a sold-out crowd. Paul is fighting out of Puerto Rico under the tutelage of Danny Smith and B.J. Flores.
After becoming the first female boxer to headline Madison Square Garden in her unforgettable battle against Katie Taylor in April, Serrano is back as the only female boxer to headline MSG twice. She takes on interim WBO Featherweight Champion Carabajal, a battle-tested opponent who has never been knocked out.
Having won titles in every division between 115 and 140 pounds, Serrano, a Puerto Rican southpaw from Brooklyn, holds the Guinness World Record for most women’s boxing world championships (7) won in different weight classes. Her narrow split-decision loss to Taylor in a lightweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden drew a raucous, sold-out crowd of 19,187 who observed Serrano nearly finish Taylor off with a barrage of punches in the fifth round.
“I’m still in shock that I’ll be headlining The World’s Most Famous Arena twice in less than six months,” Serrano said. “Brenda is a very tough opponent and has never been knocked out, so I know I will need to be on my A game to change that. But I promise you, I am not leaving the outcome for the judges to decide. I am looking forward to fighting in front of my hometown crowd again on the biggest stage in the world and giving them the show they deserve.”
Carabajal captured the interim WBO Featherweight World Title beating fellow Argentine Debora Dionicius by majority decision in May. In 2019, Carabajal became the first Argentine female boxer to ever win a world title on American soil when she scored a unanimous decision over Elena Gradinar in Atlantic City, N.J., for the vacant interim WBO Featherweight belt. Born in the small town of Palma Sola in the northern province of Jujuy, Argentina, Carabajal was Argentina’s super featherweight champion from 2015-17 and was a silver medalist in the South American Games. She has faced six world champions and has stepped into the ring against notable names like Gradina, Maria Moderna, Paola Ibarra, Maria Capriolo and Tamara Nunez.
“This is the most important bout of my career,” said the 31-year-old Carabajal. “I know that my opponent is one of the best female boxers in the world but I want to face the best fighters. This chance finds me in my best physical and mental shape, so I’m going to take advantage of it. Nothing is impossible. I dare to dream of becoming world champion again, but this time in the majestic Madison Square Garden.”
Renowned content creator and highlight maker Jake “The Problem Child” Paul, fresh off of his viral one-punch knockout victory in December, and Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano, the Unified Featherweight World Champion who is coming off one of the most significant matches in women’s boxing history, will headline in dual main events at Madison Square Garden onSaturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV in an event presented by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). Opponents for the main event bouts are to be announced.
The Sports Illustrated 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) will look to remain undefeated as a professional boxer and solidify his role as one of the sport’s most intriguing and talked-about fighters. A YouTube star and influencer-turned-pro boxer, Paul’s perfectly placed right hand in the sixth round against Tyron Woodley last December was the No. 1 trending video worldwide on YouTube the day following their December 18 bout. It retained its staying power with a No. 2 ranking two days later. The dramatic knockout also recorded 7.5 million views in less than 24 hours on YouTube, making it the most watched video in a 24-hour period in the history of SHOWTIME SPORTS®. The Cleveland native, who is just 25 and started his pro boxing journey in January 2020, is fighting out of Puerto Rico under the tutelage of Danny Smith and B.J. Flores.
“It has been one hell of a year already,” said Paul, a cruiserweight who will be fighting for the first time in New York City’s famed MSG arena. “I couldn’t have been prouder of Amanda when she went toe-to-toe against Katie Taylor in April and made history at MSG. Now, to be able to make my own history at the Garden and share the night with Amanda is just the epitome of the American dream. This is a special moment for the entire creator community and I promise I will once again show the world anything is possible.”
Having won titles in every division between 115 and 140 pounds, Serrano, a Puerto Rican southpaw from Brooklyn, holds the Guinness World Record for most women’s boxing world championships (7) won in different weight classes. Her narrow split-decision loss to Katie Taylor in a lightweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden was the first women’s fight in history to headline at MSG, and it delivered. Drawing a raucous, sold-out crowd of 19,187, Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs) nearly finished Taylor off with a barrage of punches in the fifth round. Now, Serrano will lace up the gloves for the second time this year and defend her WBO, WBC and IBO featherweight titles, which she last did in August 2021.
“I’m so blessed. To be headlining twice in less than six months at Madison Square Garden is something I could have never dreamed of,” Serrano said. “I’m so thankful to MVP, SHOWTIME and MSG for their continued support and believing in me every step of the way. I can’t wait for another opportunity to fight in front of my community surrounded by my fans and to continue to prove that women can do anything.”
Paul will fight on SHOWTIME PPV for a third time after winning a split decision over Woodley in August 2021 and delivering a sensational Knockout Of The Year candidate in their rematch in December. Serrano returns to the network for the fifth time, and now her third pay-per-view, after winning unanimous decisions over Yamileth Mercado in August and Miriam Gutierrez in December.
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul left no doubt in his rematch with Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley, registering a strong candidate for Knockout of the Year in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,685 screaming fans at AMALIE Arena in Tampa. live on an action-packed SHOWTIME PPV telecast Saturday night.
All it took was one punch for boxing’s newest superstar to silence his critics and prove that his power ranks among the most devastating in the sport and carries into the later rounds is as real as it gets. A deadly right hand connected flush on Woodley’s chin in the sixth round, sending him face-first into the canvas and knocking the former UFC Champion out cold in a moment that quickly went viral and will live on the internet in perpetuity
“This has to be the greatest moment of my life,” said the 24-year-old world-renowned content creator. “Look at what I just did. Look at the year I just had. Unprecedented. One of the most valuable boxers in this sport. Four fights. Four massive pay-per-views in 13 months. I’ve knocked out every single person that I’ve fought. Every single person that I’ve fought.”
In addition to scoring the most emphatic win of his young career and moving to a perfect 5-0 with 4 KOs, Paul also had to fight through the most adversity he has faced yet. In the third round, Paul suffered a deep cut on his forehead after he was accidentally clipped by Woodley’s elbow.
“It was a tough fight,” Paul told SHOWTIME’s Ariel Helwani in the ring post-fight. “The blood was getting in my eye from when he elbowed me. I got the job done and I knew it would happen like that. I was setting up the shot the whole fight and he didn’t see it coming.”
Prior to the closing moments, it was a close fight. Paul was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage, but it was the former MMA star Woodley (0-2) who was the busier fighter. After taking the fight on short notice following Tommy Fury’s withdrawal, Woodley threw 184 punches compared to Paul’s 170. Each fighter connected on 43 punches, but only one of them mattered in the end.
“Tyron is a legend,” Paul said. “Don’t take anything away from his career as a UFC Champion. I respect him for taking this fight on two weeks’ notice because Tommy Fury backed out of the fight. That was a tough fight right there.”
“I don’t know why I dropped my hands,” said Woodley in the post-fight press conference. “In this sport, it only takes one mistake. Literally one mistake.”
Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley both made weight and faced off for the final time at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa ahead of their anticipated rematch on SHOWTIME PPV tomorrow night, Saturday, December 18 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) live from AMALIE Arena in Tampa.
Final weights and commission officials for the four-fight SHOWTIME PPV card are below.
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and former MMA world champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley previewed their highly-anticipated rematch during the final press conference Thursday before they square off in the SHOWTIME PPV main event this Saturday, December 18 live from AMALIE Arena in Tampa.
The press conference also featured seven-division world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano and lightweight titleholder Miriam Gutierrez, who meet in the co-main event, three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams and legendary San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, who meet in a four-round pro boxing heavyweight bout, and unbeaten 140-pound contenders Liam Paro and Yomar Alamo, who square off in the telecast opener at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Also in attendance Thursday were Anthony Taylor and Chris Avila, pro boxers and MMA fighters who will clash in an eight-round super middleweight bout as part of the non-televised undercard.
Paul and Woodley will square off once again in a rematch of Paul’s split decision over Woodley in front of a sold-out crowd in Cleveland in August. The former UFC champion was Paul’s toughest opponent to date and the first fighter to take boxing’s newest star the distance. The judges scored the fight 77-75 for Paul, 77-75 for Woodley and 78-74 for Paul.
Here is what Paul and Woodley had to say Thursday from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa:
Jake Paul
“It’s funny how someone considered a pro boxer like Tommy Fury gets sick and doesn’t want to fight. I’ve fought hurt before. You have to go get the job done.
“This is no problem for me. I’m getting a big bag to beat the guy I already beat. It’s going to be a bank robbery.
“We added the $500,000 knockout bonus to his contract for this fight, but I don’t need anything else, I already have everything.
“My career has become about shutting people up. This is another version of that. We’re here to up the ante.
“Just because I’m paying him to beat me, doesn’t mean he can. If anything, it’s to my advantage, because he’s going to come out recklessly and get caught.
“I hurt him multiple times in that first fight, and I didn’t even hit him with my best shot. It was a bad night and I still beat him. He should be embarrassed by that.
“Everyone better tune in to this fight on SHOWTIME PPV because if you don’t, you’re going to be missing out on one of the best fights out there.
“I’ve been hit harder in sparring than I was by Woodley. Some of those guys I fight can really crack. He won a UFC title with that right hand, but he hit me with it and I took it no problem.”
Tyron Woodley
Photos from Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
“When I got the call for this fight, my thought was that things happened for a reason. Everything is aligned. Something wasn’t sitting right for me about Jake fighting Tommy Fury. They didn’t even have to finish their sentence before I said yes to the rematch.
“I’m just excited about the opportunity to redeem myself. We found out a lot about each other that night in the ring. We have mutual respect, but there’s still unfinished business.
“You have to be patient in finishing someone off in this sport. You have to respect their power and I’m not going to pretend like he doesn’t have power. We both do.
“In the second half of the fight I started walking him down and backing him up. I had him hurt, but he wasn’t out of it. I maybe could have been more active, but I have to go off of what I see.
“Every time I hit him, he ran. When I got hit, I came right back into his face.
“August 29 was a Christmas gift. On December 18, it’s going to be a bad night for Jake Paul. I just need to go out there and get it done. This is round nine to me.
“Jake was running in the first fight so I can measure his track speed more than his power. I give him a 10 out of 10 on his backpedaling. He should be a cornerback.
“I’m not going to bash his goals, but Saturday my goal and my mission is clear, and it’s independent of his. I’m coming to smash him.”
Former MMA world champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley discussed his upcoming rematch against international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul with media members on Thursday ahead of the sequel to their August clash won by Paul.
Paul vs. Woodley II, titled Leave No Doubt, will be the main event on SHOWTIME PPV, live from AMALIE Arena in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, December 18 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Here is what Woodley had to say:
TYRON WOODLEY
“When I got the call about this fight I had already been training and had in my mind that I was going to fight four times next year. I was already getting battle-ready for a fight in January. It took me 20 seconds to say yes and now we’re here.
“Things happened the way they were supposed to happen. This is the fight that should have taken place anyway. More people were excited for this fight. These things happen for a reason.
“Very few times do you get a chance to go back and redo something that’s already done. You often times have regrets about how a fight went and now I get a chance to undo them. That really drives me. The fact that Jake can walk around saying he beat me, boils my blood. So I’m going to make it clear that I’m the better fighter.
“I’m going to be the better conditioned fighter in this fight. You won’t be able to tell who’s had all the time preparing for this matchup. Just like the first time. I was walking him down and putting him against the ropes. He was huffing and puffing. It’s going to be the same thing again.
“I didn’t have a lot of tape to break down the first time, but now I have eight rounds to watch and to make adjustments off of. Everyone knows no one is better in rematches than me.
On the $500k bonus if he knocks Jake Paul out…
“If you put a bounty on your head, I’m all about taking that free money. The knockout bonus is just a little extra perk and some extra motivation.
“I’m motivated by money, legacy and redemption. Why would you prize fight if you didn’t want a prize? But it’s also very much about the principle. At a certain point in your career, you want the bag to match with what you’ve accomplished. You’re going to see me walk away with that extra money on fight night.
Paul-Woodley 1:
“There were times in the first fight where I made him miss and didn’t make him pay. Without going into the game plan, I feel like there were times where I could have made there bigger consequences for him trying to hit me.
“I watched the first fight fully for the first time yesterday and I felt like I won rounds four through eight. And that’s not counting what should have been a 10-8 in round four with the knockdown. If I add in some more volume, I’m going to get the knockout.
On Jake Paul, and prediction for fight:
“Jake has a screw loose, we all know that. So I’m not surprised he took this rematch. Everyone thinks he’s scared of me, so he couldn’t pass on the opportunity. He knows we have to make things right.
“My prediction is a knockout. When that happens depends on how much damage he can take and how much violence he can endure. I’m going to look for the openings and then I’m going to take them.”
Photos: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
