YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul is now openly challenging former boxer Muhammad Ali to a fight.
After beating retired boxer Mike Tyson in a highly publicized match last Friday, Paul is looking to continue his boxing career. In a post-fight interview, Paul said Ali is his next target.
“You can tell [Ali]’s afraid to fight me. He never talks about me in interviews and hopes the world will ignore me calling him out,” Paul said. “He’s wrong. Muhammad, you saw what I did to Mike and I want to make clear you’re next. I’m gonna beat his ass.”
Observers have noted Paul is correct, as Ali has not mentioned Paul in any interview he has done. However, critics claim this could be either because Paul nor Tyson have been mentioned in any interview Ali has partaken in. Also, Ali’s been dead since 2016.
This seems to not be an issue for Paul, as he has claimed he will offer Ali any amount of money he wants to rise from his grave and fight him.
“I don’t care if I have to dig that jerk up myself with my bare hands, I’ll do it. There’s no good reason for him to duck me besides he’s scared,” Paul said. “He’s seen me beat barely alive men like Mike and he knows a dead man like him stands no chance.”
A possible Paul-versus-Ali fight has taken the boxing world by storm and Netflix is already making plans to broadcast it possibly next summer, should it take place. Potential replacements if Ali refuses are also rumored, including boxers both dead and alive such as Joe Frazier and George Foreman.
Whether or not his opponent is Ali, fellow boxers and barely alive men alike are making clear their interest in fighting Paul. President Joe Biden recently announced his interest in boxing Paul, in part to “avenge” Tyson.
“Listen folks, I know I’m no spring chicken, but I’m going to be free this summer, and I got to be honest, I could use the $20 million,” President Biden said at a press conference when asked about his plans after he leaves office. “I was able to get a great senior citizen discount on my ticket to the first boxing match ever held and since then I’ve been hooked on the sport. I’ll knock this Jack Paul on his ass with the old one-two one-two in the first round, or maybe the second, or whatever number comes after two, that round.”
Paul acknowledged Biden’s challenge in an interview held the day after. He said while his main interest is fighting Ali, he was willing to fight Biden.
“I got to be honest, he’s a fierce competitor. He’s only just over triple my age and still has a beating heart, so he’s in prime boxing form,” he said.
Ali’s management released a statement addressing Paul’s challenge. While they did not explicitly accept the offer to fight him, they did not turn it down either.
“Jake Paul is one of the most prolific beaters of old men in recent times and we know he’s a real tough opponent,” the statement said. “The champ needs to use what’s left of his worm-ridden, rotting brain to think about the offer and decide if it’s something he would be interested in doing.”
For boxing fans, these are truly exciting times. Let us hope Ali accepts the challenge and we can finally watch the match that will no doubt go down in history as, “The Guy Whose Videos Hurt versus The Guy Who Sleeps in the Dirt.”
