Jake Paul’s boxing career has been built on finding opponents who generate buzz and controversy. The YouTube star turned professional fighter was scheduled to face Gervonta Davis on November 14. That matchup drew massive criticism from the combat sports world due to the massive weight difference between them. Davis typically fights around 136 pounds while Paul weighed 199.4 in his last bout. The fight was eventually canceled after a lawsuit alleging domestic violence was filed against Davis. Now Paul and his team are scrambling to find a replacement opponent for a December card on Netflix.
Francis Ngannou’s name came up as a potential opponent, but the former UFC heavyweight champion quickly shut down that idea. He told TMZ Sports that going from Davis to Ngannou made no sense given the weight differences and circumstances. Ngannou called the offer “disrespectful” and said he had no interest in facing Paul. That rejection didn’t sit well with the social media star, leading to a heated exchange online. Now, the ever vocal Chael Sonnen is jumping into the mess to criticize the former heavyweight champion’s decision.
Chael Sonnen addressed the situation exclusively on his YouTube channel, and he didn’t hold back his thoughts. He brought up Ngannou’s previous boxing match against Tyson Fury, where Francis took serious punishment but showed incredible toughness. Sonnen wondered if Jake Paul (12-1) could have survived those same attacks from Fury that Ngannou endured. But, Sonnen found it strange that Ngannou was willing to fight elite boxers like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua but refused to fight Jake Paul.
“I don’t understand how Jake would be asking more from Francis than Francis asked of Tyson Fury and Joshua. If you turn down fights that you don’t think are hard, or you turn down fights for any reason, it really doesn’t make you a courageous and noble man. It makes you unemployed”
Sonnen called Ngannou’s earlier boxing matches “cash-grab” bouts and questioned what made the Paul fight different. He suggested that refusing fights makes Ngannou look unemployed rather than courageous. This take from the ‘American Gangster’ has fans divided. Some feel that Ngannou is doing well not fighting a gimmick fight. Others feel that he is afraid that he might be defeated by a Youtuber turned boxer.
The verbal warfare started when Jake Paul took to social media to blast Francis Ngannou for rejecting the fight offer.
“Dear Francis – just say you already got humiliated in boxing and are scared to lose to Jake Paul. I accept that. You are light work my friend. Stuck in mud.”
Those are fighting words designed to provoke a response, and they worked perfectly. Francis Ngannou didn’t take long to fire back with his own message.
“Choose your words wisely boy. I agree that you need someone to discipline you for what you did to Mike Tyson, but stay in your lane”
That was a clear shot at Paul for fighting a 58-year-old Mike Tyson who hadn’t competed professionally in years. Jake Paul escalated things further by calling Ngannou a “con man” in his response. He claimed his platform helped Ngannou’s career and that he’d spoken up for Francis repeatedly.
“My lane helped your lane. I spoke up for you over and over again. No more. Look at yourself in the mirror. God don’t like ugly. Maybe the truth is you are a fake holier than thou actor, when it’s always been just about you. Maybe use your platform to speak on the youth of your country (posting a flag ain’t it), instead of doing tmz interviews like a con man to talk about me. Reality check…I sleep you in boxing and Jon Jones does in…”
Paul suggested Ngannou should use his platform to speak about issues in Cameroon rather than doing TMZ interviews. The back-and-forth has generated exactly the kind of attention both fighters thrive on. Whether this actually leads to a fight remains uncertain, but the social media drama has given both men plenty of publicity while they figure out their next moves.
(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)
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