On the face of it, YouTuber Jake Paul is stepping up for his first professional contest on August 6th. However, there’s a massive loophole.
To give Paul as much chance as possible, Hasim Rahman – a career heavyweight – will have to boil down in weight massively.
Even though Rahman weighed over 250 pounds when Paul turned pro in 2021, the Baltimore man has to hit the 200 pounds marker. Just eighteen months later.
That is a massive catch and gives Paul a better opportunity to win against a weight-drained opponent.
According to Showtime, “Paul has insisted on a cruiserweight bout scheduled for eight rounds” – even though he knows Rahman will struggle.
By another Showtime admission, “the six-foot-three-inch Rahman Jr. has fought as heavy as 278 pounds [later denied by Rahman]. He has campaigned exclusively at heavyweight in his pro career.”
Jake Paul winning
It’s as though Paul wants to win at all costs and doesn’t mind that knowledgable boxing personnel knows the reasons behind the stipulation.
If Paul wanted to up his kudos in boxing, he would have agreed to take the fight at around 220 pounds. At least give your opponent the chance to be in top condition.
That scenario would have squashed any claims that he beat a drained Rahman.
But maybe Paul is banking on his non-boxing fans to see that he’s beaten a boxer, and that is that – if he wins.
There’s no denying that Rahman Jr. is the most experienced boxer on Paul’s professional resume. Before this choice, the opposition was pitiful.
MMA fighters who weigh forty or fifty pounds less than him, fellow YouTubers, and hapless sports stars just don’t cut the mustard.
Hasim Rahman Jr.
To his credit, Rahman Jr. studied his craft under the tutelage of famed trainers like Emanuel Steward and Calvin Ford. He learned how to fight ambidextrously, something his famous father never did.
After growing up in the sport, Rahman Jr. amassed around 100 amateur fights. He won the prestigious Junior National Golden Gloves and Junior National Police Athletic League championships.
Rahman Jr. turned pro in 2017 and amassed a 12-0 record with six knockouts, showcasing deft footwork and heavy hands.
The fact that the pair have history does add to the intrigue. But let’s hope Rahman Jr. can safely make the Jake Paul stipulated weight limit first.
Well done for stepping up and facing a boxer. However, one day those constant factors, especially weight, siding with the promoter/fighter will get removed.
Training wheels need to come off if you’re going to box with the big boys.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
