(Editor’s note: This story first published at USA TODAY Sports+.)
Those embracing the conspiracy theories around the legitimacy of [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]’s boxing matches were sent scurrying Monday.
First, professional boxer Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, withdrew from his scheduled Dec. 18 Showtime pay-per-view bout in Tampa, Fla., blaming a chest infection and rib injury.
“I’m very suspicious. I don’t really trust the Furys at all,” Paul told USA Today Sports+ Monday. “They’re a shady family and I think the pressure got to Tommy. He cracked under pressure. He didn’t want to fight me. He found any way possible to get out.”
Then, Paul selected former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] — who Paul beat by split decision in August — to replace Fury and ordered a $500,000 knockout bonus added to the contract to refute claims that Paul insists opponents adhere to a “no knockout” clause.
USA Today Sports+ reviewed a copy of the 20-page bout agreement Woodley signed for his first fight against Paul, which detailed only minimal restrictions. Those included the avoidance of Grant boxing gloves and standard language, such as spelling out Woodley’s role as the “B-side fighter,” to be introduced first at the weigh-in and bout.
“All other aspects of the Bout shall be governed by, and in conformity with all applicable (Ohio) laws (including, without limitation, rules and regulations of the applicable Governing Authorities) so as to ensure the professional and official nature of the Bout,” the contract read.
Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis first floated the no-knockout allegation against Paul.
Danis is Conor McGregor’s stablemate best known for uttering inflaming words ringside that triggered McGregor’s opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov to lunge after him, into the T-Mobile Arena stands, after submitting to McGregor in their October 2018 fight in Las Vegas.
“Tyron Woodley, from what I heard, had it in the contract that he was not allowed to knock out Jake Paul,” Danis said earlier this year on an episode of “The MMA Hour.”
Woodley rocked Paul back to the ropes in August on a fourth-round power punch and followed with another blow, but Paul remained standing and as he strode to his left with less than one minute left in the round, Woodley became more measured and couldn’t finish the fight.
“I swear on anything,” Danis said. “I swear that’s why when Jake Paul was against the ropes, Tyron Woodley didn’t hit him.”
Three-division women’s boxing champion Claressa Shields joined the social media chorus, tweeting that Paul is a “con artist.”
“Jake Paul, answer the one question: Do you or do you not have a ‘no knockout clause’ in your boxing contracts? You are the biggest con artist boxing has ever had. Exposed, you are a con artist.”
Hmm @jakepaul Answer this one question! Do you or do you not have a “No knockout Clause” in your boxing contracts? You are the biggest con artist boxing has ever had! EXPOSED YOU ARE A CON ARTIST
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) October 28, 2021
It’s unknown whether Shields’ comments were directed at Paul for his past chippy behavior with her, or at Showtime, which previously stopped broadcasting Shields’ bouts.
“They’re just rumors. People have made up a rumor that my fights are rigged, that there’s a ‘no knockout’ clause. It’s all B.S.,” Paul said. “It’s illegal to rig a fight. It’s illegal to stage a professionally sanctioned bout (with a ‘no knockout’ clause). I would be in jail. It just goes to show how stupid people are, that they’d believe any headline they’d read. It’s sad.
“When you’re at the top, people are going to try to discredit you, no matter what you’re doing — boxing, football, being the president. I’m squashing the rumors right now. I’m giving Tyrod Woodley an extra $500,000 if he can knock me out.”
Asked why the no-knockout clause rumors started, Paul said, “For this exact reason: So people will talk about them. That’s what drives them and all media today: clicks, money, attention.
“If someone can make something up that they can talk about for a couple months, it’s actually a very smart move. It’s just unfortunate there’s no validity to these things, and people can just run with it. It’s all just rumors.”
Paul’s promoter, Nakisa Bidarian, who has worked with the fighter since his pro boxing debut, negotiating every fight contract since then, takes exception with the spreading falsehood.
“It goes back to the integrity of the sport,” Bidarian said. “We have never once thought about, talked about, discussed having anything but a 100% legit bout. That’s been very key for Jake Paul as we try to transition him from a global social media star to a boxing pay-per-view powerhouse.
“The ignorance of these reports giving this any credence (is nonsensical given that) it’s 100% illegal to fix or impact the outcome of a professional fight that has betting handle on it.”
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Bidarian, the former UFC chief financial officer, said UFC President Dana White also gave the narrative legs while being dismissive of Paul’s first-round knockout of former UFC fighter Ben Askren in April.
“Dana … intimated, ‘Was that a real fight?’ And from there, people questioned if Ben was taking the fight serious,” Bidarian said. “And then in the Tyron Woodley event, Tyron (nearly) knocked down Jake and didn’t go for the finish, as some people expected. But that has to do with Tyron.
“I won’t call it jealousy, but there’s a (reluctance) to give Jake the credit he deserves from the performances he’s been able to put on as a 24-year-old, 4-0 boxer.”
Danis and Shields did not immediately return messages left for them through their handlers, but Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet, texted USA Today Sports+, “I’m not interested in furthering the discussion.”
Bidarian said he doesn’t expect to pursue legal action.
“A lot of these folks use Jake to create engagement around their own platform and profiles,” Bidarian said. “The reality is we know the truth and (the public) has the truth.”
Attaching the $500,000 knockout/technical knockout bonus to Woodley’s rematch bout agreement was aimed to once and for all dispel the premise that Paul is manipulating his way to victory.
“We wanted to not only debunk this ridiculous accusation, but to incentivize Tyron to knock out Jake,” Bidarian said.
Paul stewed over Tommy Fury’s withdrawal, which came after the heavyweight champion’s brother missed his Nov. 6 news conference with Paul in Las Vegas.
“I am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul,” Fury said in a prepared statement. “I really do hope we can get this fight rescheduled in the new year. I want this fight to still happen more than anything.”
Paul responded by releasing a video in which he called Tommy Fury “boxing’s biggest (expletive),” then elaborated to USA Today Sports+.
“He wasn’t reliable (in missing) the first news conference. Tyson Fury’s pulled out of five fights. So maybe he was looking bad in camp, and maybe word got out that, ‘Hey, this kid Jake’s on fire this camp,’” Paul said if Tommy Fury “Who knows what’s really going on behind the scenes? But this might be better for him. I was going to knock him out and make him the laughingstock of the internet, so I think he might’ve realized that and pulled out of the fight.”
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