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      Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury ‘will be first PPV available on both Sky Sports AND BT Sport with rivals sharing spoils’

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA’S heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury will be available on pay-per-view with Sky Sports AND BT Sport, according to Bob Arum.It would be the first time a PPV boxing fight can be watched on either channel in the UK.
      Fans will be able to watch Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury on Sky Sports or BT Sport in the UK this summerCredit: Mark Robinson
      Joshua has his own deal with Sky whereas WBC king Fury’s contract is with rivals BTCredit: PA:Press Association
      Fury’s American co-promoter Arum revealed the news – and added ESPN will get the rights in America, not DAZN who have aired Joshua’s last four fights.
      The Top Rank chief told Boxing Scene: “You will be able to buy it on BT or buy it on Sky, it can’t be exclusive to either.
      “Obviously, the big market is the UK, where everyone is talking it will do three million homes.”
      However, SunSport understands Arum’s comments regarding BT Sport’s guaranteed involvement are premature.
      No concrete decisions will be made on broadcast deals until the date and venue are confirmed.
      It is unclear how much fans will have to pay to get access for the fight with details yet to be finalised.
      Joshua has his own deal with Sky whereas WBC king Fury’s contract is with rivals BT.
      This broadcasting deadlock threatened to scupper the unification heavyweight bout.
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      But Arum’s comments suggest British boxing fans will now get their choice of presenters and pundits for the mammoth Battle of Britain.
      Eddie Hearn, promoter for the WBA, WBO and IBF champ AJ, revealed how the negotiations developed for both broadcasters to show the fight.
      He said: “It is quite easy because the worst case scenario is everyone shares it and everyone will do that anyway. But we need to maximise the revenue for the fighters. 
      “In the UK, AJ has an exclusive deal with Sky, Fury has matching price deal with BT, in America Fury has an exclusive deal with ESPN and AJ has a matching deal with DAZN. 
      “I can’t talk on behalf of Sky but Sky will feel probably quite comfortable that they will get the majority of buys in that instance. 
      “If it means them getting the fight, I can’t see any obstacles. There is no one saying no, everyone is saying we need to get this done.”
      Asked about his client’s contract ending with Sky Sports, Hearn added: “There are extensions on that, ongoing discussions as well, and there will be some interesting news on that soon about a new partnership with us but that has got a little bit longer. 
      “Obviously with the force majeure and the delay in fights it puts it back but he has one fight left with Sky. 

      “Hopefully his two fights with Fury which are due to take place this year, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t be on Sky regardless of what we are doing anyway.”
      The first part of AJ and Fury’s two-fight deal is expected to take place indoors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 24.
      A rematch is then expected to be staged in the UK later in 2021.
      Joshua’s Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We all know now that both sides have signed the contract, they have both accepted one specific proposal and we are finalising that with contracts going backwards and forwards and tiny, tiny points getting ironed out.
      “We haven’t finalised an exact date, July 24 is the rough date but it may leak into early August but no later than that. The Olympics will be a different timezone so it’s not really in the mindset.
      “It will be peak time UK, middle of the night in Tokyo, there will not be a TV clash.
      “There is going to be a crowd, indoors obviously, so up to 20,000.”
      Joshua will put his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles on the line in the Battle of BritainCredit: PA
      Bob Arum, right, made the comments surrounding the broadcast deals in an interview with Boxing SceneCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Tyson Fury promises to show what a real man does to a fake one when he fights Anthony Joshua in unification clash More

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      Barry Hearn steps down as Matchroom Sport boss after almost 40 years with son Eddie replacing legendary promoter

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      BARRY HEARN, Britain’s leading sports promoter, has retired with immediate effect and is stepping down as chairman of Matchroom Sport.The 72-year-old has been at the forefront of top-level sport in the UK for the past four decades, transforming Steve Davis, Phil Taylor, Chris Eubank and Anthony Joshua into prime-time sporting royalty.
      Barry Hearn will be replaced by his son Eddie, who has promoted Anthony Joshua for the past decadeCredit: PA
      Hearn has seen the popularity of PDC darts grow significantly this centuryCredit: PA:Press Association
      The announcement he will move away from day-to-day operational duties comes more than a year after he suffered a “mild heart attack” and underwent emergency surgery to insert two stents. It is also just six months since he was struck down with Covid.
      Hearn, a chartered accountant, established Matchroom Sport in April 1982 and the organisation globally promotes darts, snooker, boxing, fishing, pool, tenpin bowling and golf.
      Son Eddie, 41, will take over the running of the company as its new chairman – which includes responsibility for PDC darts and PGA EuroPro golf – but he will retain his influential and powerful role as the head of boxing.
      Hearn’s daughter Katie will remain in charge of the recently-launched Matchroom Media.
      Steve Dawson, CEO of World Snooker Limited, will take over running of snooker after the conclusion of the 2021 Betfred World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
      Hearn will now become group president in an advisory role and he said: “It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sports people on the planet across the last 40 years.
      “I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts. We have created opportunities for thousands of sportsmen and women during that time.
      “I’d been determined to stay in charge until this Covid disaster passed. Now there is light at the end of the tunnel, I believe it’s the right time to pass control of Matchroom to my son Eddie and the brilliant teams we’ve assembled across all our activities.

      Hearn, right, managed Steve Davis in the 1980s as he won six world snooker crownsCredit: Getty – Contributor
      “Now is the time to give all Matchroom employees the opportunity to take this great British company to the next level and beyond”.”
      Barry Maurice William Hearn, the son of a bus driver and a cleaner, was born in June 1948 and grew up in a post-war working-class council house in Dagenham, Essex.
      According to the 2020 edition of the Sunday Times, his family wealth is estimated to be £158million.
      It was in the smoky snooker and billiards halls of Romford in the 1970s where he spotted the talents of a fresh-faced, shy Steve Davis.
      A friendship and relationship developed there that would define both their lives and spark the halcyon days of the sport.
      On Easter Monday 1981, a sporting empire began when the 23-year-old Davis beat Doug Mountjoy 18-12 in the World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield. It was the first of six world titles and he dominated the baize throughout the 1990s.
      I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts. Barry Hearn, sports promoter
      From there, the irrepressible entrepreneur moved into the world of boxing, locking horns with Don King and Frank Warren and promoting fights involving Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and Joe Bugner.
      However it is the riches surrounding the emergence of Joshua as a heavyweight world champion this past decade which have swelled the coffers of a company that avoided bankruptcy during the recession of the early 1990s.
      Hearn supported Leyton Orient since the age of 11 and owned the club for 19 years, overseeing their promotion as chairman to League One in 2006.
      Yet he was often criticised by fans during his tenure for not overspending to improve the team and he later regretted selling the club in 2014 to businessman Francesco Becchetti.
      Awarded the OBE in the 2021 New Year Honours List for services to sport, opinionated and controversial Hearn retained the salesman chatter throughout his career, happily dishing out one-liners for the media and snappy soundbites to boost ticket sales.
      Though he won’t completely disappear from public life – officially he will advise on “group strategy and global expansion” – Hearn plans to spend more time with his four grandchildren.
      Other hobbies include playing golf, fishing at the lake at the bottom of his home and padding up this summer for East Hanningfield over-70s cricket XI in Essex.
      Hearn is working on an autobiography which will be out later this year and according to those involved, it tells the definitive and astonishing account of his life.
      Eddie said: “Anyone that knows me is well aware of what Matchroom means to me and our family.
      “It has a legacy that spans 40 years from a small office under a snooker hall in Romford to a global powerhouse of sports entertainment.
      “My father has dedicated his life to the company and since I joined in 2004 I have done the same.
      “Now a greater responsibility falls on my shoulders and I am very proud to continue his great work and lead the business and the incredible team that we have built at Matchroom.”
      Boxing legend Barry Hearn suffers heart attack and has operation as son Eddie reveals he is ‘in good spirits’ More

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      UFC star Mike Perry leaks Jake Paul sparring footage and slams ‘spoiled brat’ YouTuber in astonishing rant

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      JAKE PAUL has been branded a ‘spoiled brat’ by UFC star Mike Perry following their sparring session.The MMA fighter, who boasts a 14-8 record in the octagon, responded after the YouTuber posted a clip of Perry congratulating him on the encounter. 
      Mike Perry posted footage of his sparring session with Jake Paul
      The leak was in response to a clip of Perry admitting Paul ‘kicked his ass’
      Paul was told by Dustin Poirier to fight Perry, to which he responded by revealing footage from their session while calling out Poirier for a fight.
      The 24-year-old wrote: “He was light work.
      “In his own words, ‘You kicked my ass’. I want to see Jake Paul vs. Dustin Prober.” 
      However, Perry felt that short clip was not representative of their workout.
      The 29-year-old shot back with a damning riposte against Paul’s character, calling him ‘broke’ on life and ‘a brat’.
      He wrote on Instagram: “The only clip we got. Go ahead and post some @jakepaul, I took your best shots and walked you down all day.
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      “We all know I’m not hard to hit but I’m gonna focus on that now. You know there was no danger in boxing a wrestler last night and you gave me a chance to punch you in the face (and I did) and I respected it but you mistook that and that’s my fault.
      “I show up with my girl and baby so I don’t bring drama. I show up and fight. I was a fan after you sparred me.
      “You showed heart and you’re already successful and you seemed to have a strong team (power in numbers) but you’re a spoiled brat and I’m rich in life.
      “You’re broke with a bunch of fake yes men around you that you pay for. I don’t f*** with nobody and all the money in the world can’t make you real like me.”

      Following Paul’s one-round victory over ex-MMA brawler Ben Askren, talk has turned to his next opponent.
      A potential face-off with Tommy Fury is in the works, something the American is up for if Tyson Fury agrees to fight Michael Hunter.
      Meanwhile, Askren has been slammed as ‘a fat slob’ for the manner of his early exit on the weekend. More

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      Tyson Fury fight with Anthony Joshua set for July 24 in Saudi Arabia with £500m rematch in UK later this year

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA’s heavyweight unification bout with Tyson Fury will take place in Saudi Arabia during the Olympics this summer, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.And UK fight fans can then look forward to a Wembley rematch.
      Eddie Hearn has offered an update on the status of Anthony Joshua’s bout with Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
      Fury, 32, is determined to be active this yearCredit: PA
      Negotiations between the two camps have been ongoing for weeks now, with Hearn freely admitting that they have already missed self-imposed deadlines.
      But a finalisation is edging closer, with the first bout initially set for around July 24, and no later than early-August.
      According to The Telegraph, Hearn said: “We all know now that both sides have signed the contract, they have both accepted one specific proposal and we are finalising that with contracts going backwards and forwards and tiny, tiny points getting ironed out.
      “We haven’t finalised an exact date, July 24 is the rough date but it may leak into early August but no later than that. The Olympics will be a different timezone so it’s not really in the mindset.”
      The timing of the bout is a curious one, with big fights very rarely taking place during the summer Olympic Games.
      And while Hearn isn’t concerned about the clash, he admits that Joshua may be without his trainer Rob McCracken, who also works as coach of the GB Olympic boxing team.
      He added: “We don’t have a choice.
      “There are too many people and things to fit around already with the fighters, trainers, countries, time zones, the Olympics. There is all this stuff around it, so whatever date we are given by the site is the date that we will go with. The plan is to go ahead accordingly.
      Joshua could be without long-time trainer Rob McCrackenCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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      “I know AJ and Rob have been talking around this, so I am sure they will work it out. So it will depend on timings, the date we get given is when the fight takes place and the guys know it will be around the Olympics.
      “It could be inappropriate but it is the biggest fight in boxing and the biggest moment in AJ’s career so we have to work it out.”
      As for what McCracken will do, Hearn said: “I know Rob takes his position very seriously, he loves the job and the kids so it’s not ideal but we can’t move it a couple of weeks either side.
      “Someone is spending a lot of money so we have to go whenever they say.”

      Hearn, 41, is in no doubt as to which event should take priority.
      He continued: “I know the Olympics is a huge event but I see them very differently. I know a lot of people won’t agree with me but I personally see this bigger than the Olympics.
      “I just feel it is bigger than the Olympics, for Britain, because the world will stop to watch and it’s between two Brits. It’s impossible to schedule anything without clashing with something, it’s impossible so we will go on the date we are told to go on.”
      In good news for British fight fans, the huge clash WILL take place at UK prime time, with Hearn confirming: “It will be peak time UK, middle of the night in Tokyo, there will not be a TV clash.
      “There is going to be a crowd, indoors obviously, so up to 20,000.”
      Fans have been waiting for confirmation for months on end.
      I have missed a couple of deadlines so I don’t want to keep coming up with new ones. It’s closeEddie Hearn
      But Hearn believes an announcement is close.
      He finished: “There is no hold-up. You get a written offer come in, from there you accept the offer, which we have done, and then it is on to long form contracts for the site agreement.
      “That’s where we are now. It’s a huge deal, so it is not something that requires just one draft. There have been drafts going backwards and forwards between our lawyers and Top Rank’s lawyers.
      “I have missed a couple of deadlines so I don’t want to keep coming up with new ones. It’s close. There is zero hold-up.”

      Tyson Fury promises to show what a real man does to a fake one when he fights Anthony Joshua in unification clash More

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      Floyd Mayweather leaves followers stunned with new look as fans question whether boxing star has had hair transplant

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      BOXING legend Floyd Mayweather has left fans questioning whether he has had a hair transplant after showing off his new look on Instagram.The 44-year-old – who has rocked a bald look since 2008 – posted a picture of himself with a full head of hair, much to the confusion of his 25.2 million followers.

      Floyd Mayweather has sported a bald look since 2008, with fans stunned by his recent Instagram postCredit: Reuters
      His picture has been liked over 363,000 times, with users taken aback by his transformation.
      It remains unclear if Mayweather – who won 15 world titles across five weight classes – has simply grown out his hair, or had a transplant.
      American rapper 50 Cent speculated earlier this year whether he has undergone surgery on his head as well as his beard.
      And others shared the same opinion, as one commented: “Transplant on point.”
      Another messaged: “The double hair transplant look.”
      A third added: “He’s had a hair and beard transplant recently.”
      Meanwhile one remarked: “Lovely beard transplant haha.”
      Another simply stated: “Hair transplant? Was sure he was bald.”
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      Mayweather was set to fight YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition bout this month, only for the dust-up to be pushed back to allow supporters to attend.
      And Paul was quick to send the 1996 Olympic bronze medallist a message after his brother Jake destroyed Ben Askren over the weekend.
      Sharing a video of Jake’s highlight-reel KO on Instagram, he captioned the post: “@floydmayweather you see this.”
      Floyd Mayweather’s TMT co-creator P-Reala talks to SunSport More

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      Jake Paul agrees to fight Tommy Fury – but on condition his brother Tyson fights heavyweight Michael Hunter on same card

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      JAKE PAUL accepted Tommy Fury’s call out – on the condition his older brother Tyson fights Michael Hunter on the same card.The younger Fury, 21, immediately challenged the YouTuber to a scrap on Saturday night.
      Jake Paul beat Ben Askren with a first-round KO and was immediately called out by Tommy FuryCredit: Getty
      Fury boasts an unbeaten record of five wins from five, including four knockoutsCredit: Round ‘N’ Bout Media
      Paul, 24, secured his third professional boxing win when he savagely KO’d Ben Askren in the first minute of round one.
      Fury tweeted “I’m ready to give the people what they want”, referring to a showdown with rival Paul.
      The feud began when WBC champ Tyson implored Paul to take on his younger brother.
      Speaking to ES News, Paul responded to Love Island star Tommy and laid down his demands.
      He said: “I’m going to plant the seed now.
      “Tommy Fury vs me and Michael Hunter against Tyson Fury on the same night.
      “Tommy is weak… and Tommy’s girlfriend [Molly-Mae Hague] DM’d me before they went on that reality show.”
      Light-heavyweight Tommy boasts an impressive pro boxing record with five wins from five fights, the last four all by knockout.

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      Jake Paul is cutting no corners with his diet

      ‘The Problem Child’ Paul may have to step up a weight division from cruiserweight for the fight to happen.
      But the chances of Hunter getting in on the act to face Tyson appear slim – at least for now.
      The 6ft 9ins superstar, 32, is on course to fight Anthony Joshua this summer in the first part of their two-bout Battle of Britain deal.
      Fury’s WBC and The Ring crowns will be on the line while AJ will be defending his WBA, WBO and IBF belts in their quest to be named undisputed heavyweight champion.
      Hunter, 32, is due to face Filip Hrgovic for the right to become the mandatory IBF challenger.
      Tyson Fury will face Anthony Joshua this summer in the first of their heavyweight showdownsCredit: PA
      Michael Hunter, right, will become IBF mandatory challenger if he beats Filip HrgovicCredit: Alamy

      Emotional Jake Paul reacts to brutal Knockout win against Ben Askren More

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      Billy Joe Saunders furious Eddie Hearn is making plans assuming Canelo Alvarez will BEAT him in Dallas dust-up

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      BILLY JOE SAUNDERS is furious with promoter Eddie Hearn for planning a super-middleweight title unification fight between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant before his clash with the hard-hitting Mexican.Welwyn Warrior Saunders will throw down with the pound-for-pound king a fortnight on Sunday in Dallas, Texas.
      Billy Joe Saunders will throw down with Canelo Alvarez on May 8Credit: MATCHROOM BOXING
      But Eddie Hearn has made tentative plans for American Caleb Plant to face CaneloCredit: Getty
      But Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn is already plotting a showdown between Canelo and IBO 168lb champ Plant.
      The plan has irked the undefeated Saunders, who told iFL TV: “I’m a bit disappointed because he’s already planning venues for the Caleb Plant fight.
      “You know. It’s one of them. People can say what they want and you know, you got this shot.
      “And people look at… f**k the money. F**k everything. I’m here to win.”
      Although he’s already laying the groundwork for a bout between Canelo and Plant, Hearn is confident Saunders can spring a major upset and hand the pride of Mexico his second professional defeat.
      He told Fight Hub TV: “Billy Joe Saunders for a long time has said he will beat Canelo Alvarez. He has the style to beat him.
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      How the two stars shape-up head-to-headCredit: The Sun
      “I’ll tell you one thing, I think if there’s anyone in the division that will beat or could beat Canelo, it’s Billy Joe Saunders — because he has the style and the movement and he has something different in his head.
      “No fear. He can come out and he boxes and he moves and he flows, you know.
      “Other fighters come out (tense). Same with Yildirim. That’s why this will be a good fight because Yildirim — no fear.
      “He’ll come out, take his time, two or three rounds and then Joel Diaz will say to him ‘right, now’s your chance, go for it.’
      “And he’ll let his hands go. But that’s very dangerous, but it’s exciting.”
      Saunders, 31, is confident of upsetting the apple cart, telling talkSPORT: “I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced, he’s dealt with six of them very comfortably.
      Eddie Hearn believes Billy Joe Saunders can spring a major upset against Canelo AlvarezCredit: PA
      “The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit.
      “I will be in range for him to hit. I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps.
      “I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice. He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo.
      “He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.
      “We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather.
      Billy Joe Saunders is confident of handing Canelo only his second professional defeatCredit: Matchroom Boxing

      “Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”
      He continued: “This is the way I look at it: you have to win every moment, every second in that ring when that bell goes.
      “I’m prepared to put everything down, all of the chips down.
      “As long as I get a fair decision then I believe in my heart of hearts that the job is definitely not an impossible job.
      “People go on about how good he is, how great he is.
      “But let’s not forget he’s been beat [by Floyd Mayweather] and he got beat in the first fight with Golovkin as well I thought.
      “Let’s just hope that it’s all a fair playing field in and out the ring, and we can get to work.”
      Is Billy Joe Saunders Britain’s best hope to defeat Canelo Alvarez? More

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      Ben Askren branded a ‘fat slob’ after Jake Paul loss by Stephen A Smith, who says former UFC star should be ‘ashamed’

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      BEN ASKREN went into his showdown with Jake Paul looking like a ‘fat slob’, according to ESPN’s Stephen A Smith.The former UFC welterweight was wiped out in the first round of his Triller Fight Club boxing match with the YouTuber last Sunday, with a beautiful one-two combination putting him down.
      Ben Askren suffered a brutal first-round KO loss to Jake Paul last SundayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Stephen A Smith says Ben Askren went into the fight looking like a ‘fat slob’Credit: Instagram @triller
      Askren, 36, tipped the scales at 191lbs for his lucrative cash with the social media star, which earned him a guaranteed £500,000.
      But Smith was far from impressed by the condition of the Olympic wrestler, saying on First Take: “Ben Askren should be ashamed of himself.
      “He walked in there looking like a fat slob – I’m serious.
      “He looked liked somebody’s grandparent. I mean it was pathetic. It really, really was.
      “To know that he is a professional fighter – see I don’t hold that against heavyweights.
      “If you’re a heavyweight or a heavyweight in the UFC and stuff like that, I get all of that.
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      ESPN’s Stephen A Smith gave a ruthless assessment of Ben Askren’s display against Jake PaulCredit: ESPN
      “But there is no excuse, there was no excuse, for Ben Askren to walk in the ring looking like that.”
      Smith also far from impressed by Askren’s approach for the much-maligned fight.
      He continued: “Did you see how he was holding up his hands? It was like a fighter from the 1940s.
      “I didn’t know if I was watching him or Jake Lamotta or Joe Louis.
      “I’m like, ‘What the hell is this? This is unbelievable.’ I couldn’t believe how he looked.”
      Jake Paul is cutting no corners with his diet

      The often hyper-critical Smith wasn’t impressed by Paul’s brutal stoppage on account of Askren’s striking prowess.
      And he’s urged the 24-year-old to start pursuing fights with legitimate boxers.
      He said: “Here’s the reality of the situation: you’re going into the ring against non-boxers.
      “At some point in time, you’ve got to go in there against somebody who at least has an amateur record.
      “I mean somebody that’s trying to be a pro.”
      Former Bellator and ONE Championship 170lb king Askren felt humiliated by his ill-fated professional boxing debut, saying: “I got knocked out by Jake Paul – it’s f***ing embarrassing.”
      Jake Paul vs Ben Askren – Round by round More