Former two-time Welterweight champion Shawn Porter has given his reasons why Jake Paul specifically chose Hasim Rahman Jr as his next opponent.
The YouTuber was meant to face Tommy Fury, Tyson Fury’s younger brother, but the fight has now been cancelled twice. The first due to an injury suffered by Fury and the second because the ex Reality TV star was refused entry into the US when trying to board a plane for the first press conference.
Paul will now fight Hasim Rahman Jr on August 6 at Madison Square Garden in the Showtime pay-per-view event.
Porter’s father Kenny has trained Rahman Jr giving Shawn a great insight into the matchup.
Whilst speaking to FightHype, Porter was asked if there was a particular reason why Rahman Jr was chosen?
“They’re picking a fighter that practically just got knocked out.”
“Even beyond that he’s in a higher weight and they’re gonna ask him, force him, to pull his weight down.”
The retired Welterweight champ went on to praise the brash Paul for his business acumen:
“I don’t know how Jake Paul [is] as young as he is – he’s very business savvy and very business savvy in the sport of boxing.”
He went on to state that the YouTuber has all outcomes covered:
“I’ll give you a hypothetical – let’s say Hasim and his camp understand what he’s trying to do, to get us to suck ourselves down, we’re only going to go here [indicates won’t lose all the weight].”
“They’ll massage it. Jake Paul will massage it. They’ll cancel the fight and then make it all Hasim’s fault and they won’t take the rap for anything.”
“He really has a way of doing this so that he’s covered all of the bases.”
“You take a look at the rehydration clause – he’s covering all of his bases.”
When pressed for a prediction for the fight, Porter refused and just stated who he wanted to win:
“I think he’s [Rahman Jr] handicapped coming to the fight.”
“I want him to win.”