Jake Paul is back in the ring this weekend, marking his first fight since beating boxing legend Mike Tyson last November. But the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer is still taking heat for his choice of opponents.
Things got heated on Thursday when Paul appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Morgan called Paul's bout with the 58-year-old Tyson “sickening” and questioned the legitimacy of Paul’s boxing career.
“It’s entertainment, man,” Paul said. “If Mike Tyson wants to fight you, of course you’re going to say yes. He walked away with tens of millions for his family, and we made the biggest fight in history. So 128 million people would disagree with you.”
Morgan gave Paul credit for his business savvy but doubled down on the criticism. “As a businessman, you crushed it. But don’t act like fighting a man nearly as old as me proves anything in boxing.”
Paul fired back, saying he tried to set up a fight with current super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez but got turned down. “You said he’d kill me, so what do you want, Piers? I’m trying to fight the best people.”
“You’re the problem here,” Paul continued. “You make stuff up and don’t know your facts. I’ve fought real boxers with pro records — including Mike Tyson himself.”
Things escalated when Morgan said Paul wouldn’t have stood a chance against Tyson in his prime. Paul snapped back with a personal jab. “You versus going to the gym — you’re still a fat a--. Go hit the gym.”
Morgan asked why Paul came on the show if he didn’t care about his opinion. “I’m just here to sell pay-per-views,” Paul replied. “I don’t give a f--- about your show, you dumba--. This is a f---ing business enterprise.” He then ended the call.
Paul faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday in Anaheim. Chavez, 39, hasn’t fought since 2021 and is far removed from his peak days as a former middleweight champ.