Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has branded Jake Paul an "average" fighter during a heated face-off where they discussed his fighting career.
Paul has fought five times during his professional career most recently knocking out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in rematch victory last December.
Hearn staged Paul's maiden professional outing against fellow YouTuber AnEson Gib and is currently co-promoting the event between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano with Paul in New York.
The pair went head-to-head during a face-off in New York where Hearn provoked a heated reaction from Paul during a discussion of his boxing career. Hearn started: "I would have said no chance he would be where he is at in his boxing career. I didn't know if he had any ability, he fought AnEson Gib who was terrible on the night and Jake looked pretty average as well as it was two YouTubers."
Paul quickly fired back: "Don't start this off like that. I beat him in one minute. How do you assess how good I am? You called me average after one minute of my fight? Hearn explained: "You are average, no but you are still average. You beat a UFC champion, it is true I don't know where you might go yet but I am entitled to my opinion as to where I think you will go. Paul quickly stepped in: "You don't know my ability?"
Hearn continued: "Average is very complimentary to you as a boxer. What is average? Someone that can go and win an inter-continental title, that is a good achievement for someone who has not a lot of boxing experience I actually give him credit."
Paul moved to point out his recent accolade: "Did anyone on your roster win KO of the year? They didn't last year. So average that I won more accomplishments than your entire roster. So is your whole roster average?
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Hearn fired back the final words as the pair argued: "It was a great knockout but you knocked out someone that doesn't really box. You won KO of the year on ESPN. Canelo Alvarez is the undisputed super-middleweight champion. You are distinctly average but that is a compliment."
Hearn has offered Paul a fight earlier in the week against any of his 400 fighters under the Matchroom stable, which Paul believes he can beat including former Olympian Cheavon Clarke. The Briton promoted Paul's professional boxing debut with the YouTube star having gone on to fight former UFC champions Ben Askren and Woodley.
He was set to face Tommy Fury last year in his first fight against a fighter with a natural background in boxing, but his opponent withdrew with a broken rib. Paul is now eyeing a return to the ring in August with a potential date leaked of August 13, with a hint attached that Hearn could promote his next fight after DAZN were tagged in the social media post.
