KEY POINTS
- The Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. fight was canceled due to disagreements on catchweight
- Rahman was only willing to fight Paul if the weight limit was set at 215 pounds
- Paul has not fought since December 2018
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will have to wait a little longer to return to the ring and nab his sixth boxing win.
He was originally scheduled to face Hasim Rahman Jr. on Aug. 6, but the showdown has been called off due to the latter’s weight issues.
The cancellation of the Showtime pay-per-view bout was announced via an official press release issued by Paul's promotion Saturday.
“Most Valuable Promotions and Jake Paul will not reward someone that has conducted themselves in such a deceiving and calculated manner,” the press release read. “This forced outcome impacts Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, and every other fighter on this card who trained tirelessly over the past few months for this event.”
For his part, Paul expressed his frustration over the cancellation via social media, blasting Tommy Fury and now Rahman. He tweeted that both were difficult to work with and lacked the professionalism to face him.
“First Tommy Fumbled and now Hasim Rahman Crumbled. These boxers are the most difficult people to work with and continually lack professionalism and confidence to fight me,” Paul tweeted.
“I apologize to all of the other fighters on the card, our partners, our team and the fans,” the 25-year-old YouTube personality added.
Rahman took the place of Fury after the latter was reportedly denied entry into the U.S. The British pug was flying in from England at the time for the introductory press conference.
The fight with Rahman was originally set to take place at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. But being a natural heavyweight, the 31-year-old pug, who holds a record of 12 wins (6 by KO) and a loss, never fought lighter than 211.75 pounds since turning pro in 2017.
Rahman hardly showed progress in losing weight, something monitored by the New York State Athletic Commission, Boxing Scene reported.
Paul's team agreed to adjust the weight limit to 205 pounds. However, Rahman’s side said they wanted it to be at 215 pounds. They also said they would pull out unless the catchweight would be adjusted to 215 pounds.
It remains to be seen who Paul will target next. His last fight was on Dec. 18, 2021, a rematch with Tyron Woodley that the social media personality won via knockout in the sixth round of a scheduled eight-round clash.
Jake Paul works out during a media workout at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa pool Photo: Getty Images | Julio Aguilar
