10 April 2023 , 08:33
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Jake Paul has admitted he and Floyd Mayweather choreographed an incident which went viral across the internet and sparked fight rumours.
Paul and Mayweather have a chequered past, with their initial feud beginning when the YouTube star took their trolling of one another to a different level back in 2021 as he stole the legendary boxer's hat during a press conference. That altercation became violent, and was legitimate, but the pair appear to have now patched up their differences.
At the start of last month, a video surfaced of the pair rowing in Miami, with Paul eventually running away from the boxer's team of bodyguards. He was mercilessly mocked after the incident, with many feeling he should have stayed and attempted to defend himself.
But he has now revealed it was all a ploy for viewership, with the pair having enjoyed dinner a few hours prior. During a live stream to promote PFL last week, Paul was chatting with YouTube boxing analyst Wade Plemons, who noted that "A lot of people thought you and Floyd was a PR stunt," to which he replied "It was."
"I kind of wanted to talk about it on this," he explained. "I kind of have three or four things I want to unload on... There were 25 dudes. We were like ‘let’s set this up and make this go viral’." He proceeded to show Plemons a photo from the night of he and Mayweather at dinner, where they supposedly plotted the stunt did.
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"And viral it did. It went on like every single news page and outlet. We got exactly what we wanted out of it. We needed people to think it was real. I was debating on whether or not to reveal the whole Floyd thing was fake, but I was just like 'f*** it'."
Mayweather has already fought Jake's older brother Logan, going the eight-round distance with the YouTube star in their June 2021 exhibition at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. And he has entertained the notion of fighting the other sibling, although Jake is only interested in legitimate professional bouts.
Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul have history (Getty Images)Are you surprised to hear that the Jake Paul vs Floyd Mayweather altercation was staged? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
The iconic 50-0 boxer remains active on the exhibition circuit, but has hinted he could one day return in a final professional outing, providing the opponent is of a lower level. His bouts have begun to attract significantly less interest as he takes on celebrities such as YouTuber Deji and reality TV star Aaron Chalmers, with fans not showing up for his last few.
UFC boss Dana White accused the pair of staging the altercation, insisting that it wasn't Mayweather's style. “I just can’t see Floyd doing that,” He said in an interview with TMZ Sports when discussing the viral footage. “I can’t see Floyd rolling up on somebody and doing that.
"It’s not Floyd’s style. It’s not really his personality. I thought it was a skit. I’m not buying it. When’s the last time you saw Floyd Mayweather act like a thug and roll up on somebody with 50 people? That’s just not what Floyd does. Yeah, I’m not buying it.”