JAKE PAUL faces losing over ONE STONE in weight if he is to meet KSI’s demands for a blockbuster grudge match.
The pair of YouTube superstars-turned boxers have rivalled each other throughout their careers but are yet to settle it in the ring.
And the latest sticking point in talks between the two camps is a disagreement in weight.
Paul has campaigned from 185lb but his last bout – a knockout over boxer Andre August – was at the 200lb limit
Whereas KSI was last at a 183lb catchweight in defeat to Tommy Fury but he insists his best fighting weight is 175lb at light-heavyweight.
So it leaves his manager Mams Taylor adamant the pair must meet in the middle and box at a mutually unsatisfying 180lb – over a stone from Paul’s weight.
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Taylor told SunSport: “The reality is, I think they both have so much to lose it has to be fair and it has to be uncomfortable.
“KSI is not comfortable at 180, Jake is not comfortable at 180 either.
“It’s like the art of negotiating something in meditation, you both walk away not feeling great but not feeling bad about the deal you’ve done.
“And if they’re both prepared to do that then I think we’ll have a fight.”
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Before KSI’s boxing comeback in the summer of 2022, Paul offered to fight him on short notice at 180lb.
But the American’s team have also pointed out that KSI in 2019 fought at 196lb the night he beat Paul’s brother Logan on points.
So Taylor is left to admit the row over size could prevent the mega-fight from happening.
He said: “With Jake, he’s said numerous times that he’ll fight at 180 and KSI’s most comfortable fight weight thus far is 175.
“If KSI was a full-time pro boxer his optimum performance would be at 168lb, because he doesn’t have as big a frame and Jake is a lot bigger and getting a lot bigger.
“So I don’t know if that fight ever happens just because of the weight issues.”
KSI was forced to concede to Fury’s demands of a 183lb catchweight before he lost a controversial decision in October.
So Taylor refuses to make the same mistake twice and have his star man fight outside his best weight.
He said: “I don’t think that’s a good idea and I wasn’t in favour of that for Tommy, to be honest.
“KSI just said, ‘Look, I don’t care anymore, I don’t want to wait anymore give him that advantage.’
“He gave him really almost all the advantages and I’m very proud of the way KSI performed.
“He had a tactic in mind and a tactic he developed with his team to negate Tommy’s jab and he did and I think most people think he did enough to win.
“It’s unfortunate and we move. It was a great show in the end and we’re proud of that.”
Another roadblock is the breakdown in relationship between Taylor and Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian.
So the former music mogul is ready to hand over talks with Bidarian to his Misfists Boxing right hand man, promoter Kalle Sauerland.
Taylor said: “I’m going to defer negotiations to Kalle if that ever happens again.
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“I really want that fight to happen, I think the people want it to happen and I certainly don’t want to be a catalyst for a reason for it not.
“I think Nakisa and I are like oil and water when it comes to business. So sometimes you just can’t get along with people.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
