Jake Paul has mocked Tony Bellew after Eddie Hearn claimed a fight between the YouTuber and the former world champion would be "massive".
Bellew taken to social media to insult Paul on several occasions, but the YouTuber-turned-boxer insists that he has no idea who the former champion is. Hearn and Paul spoke to the press after today's Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano press conference, with the Brit showing interest in matching up the influencer with his charge.
Hearn and Bellew have staged a number of major pay-per-view events, including a headline fight at Goodison Park against Ilunga Makabu. But Paul insists that he barely has any idea about the former world champion, joking that his role in the hit film Creed was "in the background".
"That's a massive fight, massive," Hearn told Mirror Fighting when the bout was suggested to him, before bantering with Paul over Bellew's age. "He's retired, he's old, he's a former world champion."
Bellew retired in 2018 after being stopped in an undisputed cruiserweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk who is now the unified heavyweight champion. He has insisted he is not interested in returning to the ring, but admits that he would have a price to make a comeback.
However, Paul isn't keen, asking Hearn "who is he?" When the Brit responded that he was a former world champion and had starred alongside Michael B Jordan in Creed, Paul hit back by saying "That's his claim to fame? He was in Creed? He was in Creed, he was in the back, the janitor in the background. I think I've heard that name, I couldn't put a face to it, though. I know who Usyk is. I wasn't asked about Usyk, I was asked about Bellew."
Hearn and Paul were engaged in a heated discussion over the YouTuber's potential ceiling in the sport. The Matchroom Boxing boss is adamant that his co-promoter for this weekend's Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano fight won't be able to beat a world champion at any point in his career.
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However, Paul disagrees, and laid down the challenge to Hearn that he would fight anyone on his roster with under ten fights to their name at cruiserweight. "Anybody, any weight under 10-0?" Hearn asked. "I've got about 400 of them. Cheavon Clarke is 1-0, he boxed in the Olympics, didn't medal, he's just had one professional fight. He's a cruiserweight, you can have him. I'll be careful with the price, I've got fighters for you. Any time, I hope you do [move up the ranks].
Paul replied: "Anyone, any weight, under ten fights I will beat anybody on your roster. No problem, give me your best 'real boxer'. Let's do it, I already said, I'm down. We're betting a million dollars [on Taylor vs Serrano] and I'm taking on anyone on your roster with under ten fights.
"That's right now, too. Give me a couple of years, bro, I'm coming for your boy Canelo [Alvarez]. That's one of the biggest fights in boxing that can be made."
