Eddie Hearn has admitted he would like to see Jake Paul come through his test with Anderson Silva next month.
Paul will take on the most significant challenge of his boxing career when he faces UFC legend Silva on October 29 in Phoenix. Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn, who has worked with Paul on promoting the fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano this year, has previously been critical of the star's boxing career.
The pair have traded verbal barbs in the past, particularly after Hearn labelled Paul an "average" boxer which wound up the YouTube star. Although not meaning it as disrespect, Hearn recently hit out at Paul again after he made a $2million offer for the rematch between Serrano and Taylor.
"It just is another example of him knowing nothing about the boxing business or boxing in general," he said when responding to the offer. "To suggest she can fight at 126lb is the most ridiculous and idiotic thing anyone can say. Maybe he doesn't know how people can cut weight."
However Hearn has issued a more supportive reaction to Paul's tenure in boxing this time out and believes he has been unlucky after the cancellation of his planned bouts with Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. “I don’t know enough about Anderson Silva – Anderson is [47], but he can box a bit by the sound of things,” Hearn told The MMA Hour.
“I just think Jake’s been a bit unlucky, because he was trying to fight Tommy Fury, he was trying to fight Hasim Rahman Jr, and that would have actually given him the ability to say, ‘Actually, you have to respect me now as a boxer.
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“To defeat Anderson Silva, while boxing is still a very impressive part of his repertoire, he’s still not a boxer, and he’s 47 years of age. I don’t think he beats Jake, because I think Jake is young, and I think he can punch a bit, and I’m intrigued to watch, and I like what Jake’s doing. It’s kind of him against the world.
“No one’s trying to do him any favours in boxing. It’s not ‘YouTube boxing’ any more, as far as I’m concerned. Good luck to Jake. I would like to see him come through after this to actually fight some boxers, because I think he can beat some boxers, and his credibility would definitely rise in the sport.”
A win for the YouTube star will no doubt be his career best and could see him elevated into other big fights including against Nate Diaz and YouTube rival KSI. Paul has frequently suggested he plans to become world champion in the sport, which Hearn has always quickly dismissed and has admitted he would be shocked if Paul reached world level despite his early promise.
