James Toney, a former world champion and boxing legend, has launched a scathing attack on Jake Paul's boxing career. Toney's criticism focuses on Paul's recent fight with Mike Tyson, which he believes disrespects the sport of boxing.
Paul, a former YouTube star, has built a record of 11 wins and 1 loss in 12 fights. He's mostly faced former MMA stars like Nate Diaz and Tyron Woodley. His latest bout against Mike Tyson ended in a points victory for Paul, but it's stirred up controversy with some calling it 'rigged'.
Speaking on the Wisenuts Podcast, Toney didn't hold back in his assessment of Paul. He said:
"F**k Jake Paul he sucks, he's garbage, he's destroying the sport of boxing, period. I ain't playing, I take my craft serious. I love boxing, boxing's my world. I love Mike but Mike disrespect the sport. Paul disrespect the sport by doing what they did."
Toney explained why he thinks the fight was disrespectful:
"Because [Tyson's] getting paid extra money, Paul is having a celebrity thing. I'm sorry, it's bulls**t. Jake Paul, y'all could beat this guy. He's garbage. He's amateur."
The boxing legend made it clear he values his legacy over money. He said he'd only fight Paul under certain conditions:
"Minus the bulls**t, 'you can't knock me out please and all that,' minus the bulls**t, we can fight a real fight, we'll fight and I'll knock him out. I'm not ruining my name for money. I worked hard for my legacy to be what it is."
Toney then issued a direct challenge to Paul:
"Jake get the balls, get the courage, come and see James Toney. Jake you's a sissy, you ain't got no balls, no nuts. My legacy means the world to me, I'm the best fighter period. Jake Paul is playing, he playing Russian Roulette. And one of these days the bullet will be in the chamber. It might be me?"
The accusations of rigging aren't unique to Toney. Other boxing figures like Carl Froch and Oscar De La Hoya have made similar claims. Paul's team strongly denies these accusations, pointing out that the fight was professionally sanctioned and any arrangement would be a felony crime.
Paul's presence in boxing continues to divide opinion. While he's hugely popular, many boxers have called him out, promising to knock him out. Paul himself has set his sights high, even calling out fighters like Canelo Alvarez.
As the debate rages on, it's clear that Jake Paul's impact on boxing won't be forgotten anytime soon. Whether that impact is positive or negative depends on who you ask.
