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Watch Eddie Hearn face-off with Jake Paul after joking he ‘started this mess’ by promoting YouTuber’s first fight

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EDDIE HEARN faced off with promotional opposition Jake Paul – after joking he ‘started this mess’ by staging the YouTuber’s first fight.

The Matchroom boss and Paul helped finalise a deal for Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s historic women’s super-fight.

Eddie Hearn facing off with Jake PaulCredit: Michelle Farsi

But only two years ago Hearn welcomed the American celebrity into the sport by staging his debut against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’.

Now the pair are going head-to-head – quite literally – as they promoted Taylor and Serrano’s Madison Square Garden headliner.

Paul, 25, stopped video gamer Gib in just one round and has since gone on to become a pay-per-view star and 5-0 unbeaten fighter.

Has has even called out the likes of ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor, 33, and current No1 pound-for-pound boxer Canelo Alvarez, 31.

And Hearn admitted he is to blame for Paul’s polarizing splash in the sweet science.

He said on The MMA Hour: “I promoted his first fight, two years ago. I started this mess.

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“I put him in against a YouTuber, and the best way I can describe Jake is, people say to me, ‘Do you like Jake Paul?’

“And I say Jake — the terminology is different in the UK. — plonker, grade-A plonker, dipstick. But I like him.

“I don’t mean that disrespectfully. Half the time, I think he’s on a wind up. You know what I mean?

“Like, we were doing a media scrum today and he was talking about fighting Canelo, and I’m looking at him going, ‘Are you just laughing inside?’

“And I think it’s a little bit of both.”

Paul has also knocked out ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37 as well as former UFC pair Ben Askren, 37, and Tyron Woodley, 39.

He’s put in the work in the gym. He’s fallen in love with the sport, genuinely, and I think he’s good for boxing.

Eddie Hearn on Jake Paul

He is still yet to face an opponent with prior pro boxing experience, but has no shortage of challengers pleading to put a stop to the social media sensation.

However, Hearn admitted Paul is ‘good for boxing’ and told detractors to just accept it.

He said: “I think fighters, because of what they’ve sacrificed, sometimes hold it against Jake Paul and say, ‘Well, I’ve been grinding in the gym for 15 years!’

“Yeah, but you’re not good enough and you haven’t built the profile that he’s built.

“Why shouldn’t he be allowed to do that? He’s put in the work in the gym. He’s fallen in love with the sport, genuinely, and I think he’s good for boxing.

“I think he brings a different kind of audience.”

Eddie Hearn, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano and Jake PaulCredit: Michelle Farsi

Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk

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