The cancellation of Jake Paul vs Hasim Rahman Jr. has left many people wondering why the fight was called off. While Paul has stated it was due to Rahman Jr. not being able to cut down to 200-pounds, the heavyweight boxer has claimed that the contract should’ve had some room for negotiation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Moreover, this has started an online discourse with many boxers, fans, and promoters, giving their opinion on the fight getting canceled. This included Showtime Promotions president Stephen Espinoza, who defended Paul and made a surprising revelation.
Espinoza makes a shocking revelation
The Showtime president took to Twitter and revealed that the heavyweight boxer was at 216-pounds when he signed the contract, which gave Jake Paul and his team confidence that he would be able to make it to 200 pounds. He also stated that there was no approved backup for this fight.
There was no approved backup ready. And Rahman provided a video showing that he weighed 216 at the time he signed his contract in early July.
— Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) August 1, 2022
Moreover, Paul’s trainer, Benjamin Flores, referred to this tweet and addressed the critics telling him to ‘stop the excuses.’
Stop the excuses pic.twitter.com/hrIjfO5L3R
— Benjamin Flores (@bjfloresboxing) August 1, 2022
It seems like Espinoza is with The Problem Child on this take and believes that the heavyweight boxer should have honored his contract.
Why was Jake Paul vs Rahman Jr. canceled?
Like a coin, every story has two sides to it. This situation was no different, as both fighters stated their sides of the story. Although Rahman Jr. accepted that he would not be able to cut his weight down, he stated it was because his body was not physically capable of doing so.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Moreover, he has also claimed that if Paul beat him in a sparring session two years ago when he was weighing 230-pounds, he should not have any problem with him being above the 200-pound limit.
Paul, on the other hand, has stated that the heavyweight boxer should not have signed the contract if he could not follow through with the weight cut. Notably, this has led to two polarizing groups of people, with some agreeing with Paul while others defending the heavyweight boxer.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Do you agree with Paul’s trainer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Watch This Story: Five Fascinating Facts about Jake Paul’s Rumored Opponent Hasim Rahman Jr.