Boxing

Jake Paul Reveals He Nearly Fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. Instead of Mike Tyson

Jake Paul made a surprising admission about past fight negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Grant Young|
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Floyd Mayweather looks on during the first half between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Floyd Mayweather looks on during the first half between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

During a February 26 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. got honest about his chances of beating Jake Paul in the ring if they were to ever face off.

"Easy, too easy," Mayweather said. "At 48 [years old], too easy."

This prompted a quick response from Paul, who commented on a clip of Mayweather's words by writing, "You bum. Deji gave you a black eye in an event that had 4,000 people in it. Deji hahahah. I would knock you out in 2 rounds and you can’t sniff Mike Tyson’s toe."

While Paul and Mayweather meeting in a boxing ring would surely generate a ton of money, the gigantic size difference between the two makes it unrealistic that they'd even actually fight. Then again, the same could be said for Jake's brother Logan, who did fight Mayweather in an exhibition bout a few years ago.

But this didn't keep Paul from trying to entice Mayweather to fight, which he revealed in a March 24 interview with The New York Post.

MORE: Ring Walk Time Announced For Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull

The interview states that once Mike Tyson pulled out of the initial July 20 fight date between him and Paul due to health concerns, Paul and his team contacted Mayweather to see if he'd be interested in filling in to face him.

Obviously, these talks didn't get too far, because Paul did not fight on that date. Regarding the fight not coming to fruition, Paul is quoted saying, "[Mayweather] won't do it. He said he would fight me, but I would have to weigh like 160 pounds, which is physically impossible for me.”

Therefore, it sounds like a fantasy boxing fight between Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul will only ever remain a fantasy.

The Latest Boxing News

Jake Paul Claps Back At Floyd Mayweather Calling Him A "Bum" And Predicting Fight Outcome

Logan Paul Claims Credit For Floyd Mayweather Fighting Rule

Jake Paul Gets Engaged To Girlfriend Jutta Leerdam In Stunning Setting

Terence Crawford Reveals Why Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson Won’t Be On Canelo Alvarez Fight Undercard

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.