Hasim Rahman Jr 's coach has predicted his fighter will knock out Jake Paul in the sixth round to hand the YouTube star his first professional loss.
Rahman replaced Tommy Fury last month as Paul's opponent for his sixth paid fight on August 6 at Madison Square Garden. The heavyweight looks to rebound against Paul after his knockout loss to Tommy Morrison in April, which was the first defeat of his professional career. Rahman faces a hefty cut to make the 200lb cruiserweight limit having weighed in at 224lb for his last outing, but the son-of-a-legend is seemingly on course to make the weight as he sported a lean frame this week..
Yoel Judah, the father of former two-weight world champion Zab Judah, insists that Paul has made "a big mistake" by choosing Rahman to replace Love Island star Fury. “I see Rahman Jr. winning in the sixth round. He’s confident and he’s doing everything by the book. He wants this fight. Jake made a big mistake," he said.
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“We’ve been working on everything. Movement, speed, and mainly stamina. We know he has really good punching power, and legs. So, if we get good stamina, we know we are good. I’ve been with Hasim about four, five years. He’s right there. He’s where he’s supposed to be for this fight. I see him three years from now fighting for a world championship.”
Paul heads into his sixth professional fight having knocked out every opponent he's fought so far. 'The Problem Child' has faced criticism for not fighting an 'actual boxer', with his previous fights taking place against former MMA champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Before that, Paul knocked out fellow YouTube star AnEsonGib and former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Judah thinks Paul's best attribute is his conditioning, stating: "The best thing about Jake Paul is he’s probably going to be in great shape, but you’re fighting a real boxer now. Good punching power and good combinations and someone who is not afraid of you and who is going to bring the fight to you."
Rahman has vowed to retire Paul from boxing after their fight and send him across to the WWE with brother Logan. A rehydration clause in the fight contract means Rahman's weight cut will be even tougher, as the heavyweight will not be allowed to weigh more than 215lb on the morning of the fight. Paul recently defended his decision to implement the clause by pointing to the terms of Chris Eubank Jr's potential upcoming fight with Conor Benn.
