Jake Paul's dominant victory over Mike Tyson has sparked an unexpected challenge from one of boxing's most formidable champions.
The 27-year-old Paul secured a unanimous decision win against the 58-year-old boxing legend at AT&T Stadium on Friday evening.
In a surprising turn of events, undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev has emerged with a direct challenge to the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Beterbiev, who recently unified all four major belts by defeating Dmitry Bivol in October, broke from his typically reserved character to issue the challenge.
The 39-year-old champion's callout marks a significant escalation in the level of opposition being presented to Paul.
Beterbiev took to Instagram with an unprecedented direct challenge to Paul.
"@JakePaul what can you do in the ring against the current undisputed champion," the champion posted.
"Just know I'm always open to any suggestions."
The callout represents a stark departure from Beterbiev's typically understated demeanour.
Despite approaching 40, industry observers suggest the champion may be seeking more lucrative opportunities in the latter stages of his career.
The challenge comes at a time when Paul has been vocal about his ambitions to capture a world title in boxing.
Paul's response to the challenge came swiftly, though not directly to Beterbiev.
Taking to X, Paul responded to a repost of Beterbiev's Instagram story with characteristic bravado.
"Just seen this....top 5 pound-for-pound fighter in the world calling me out. Hahahahahaha. 4 years in and I run this sport," Paul declared.
The response came amid Paul's continued pursuit of other high-profile matchups.
In his post-fight interview following the Tyson bout, Paul had already set his sights elsewhere, claiming: "Canelo needs me. He knows he needs the payday, so he knows where the money man is at."
Beterbiev refused to let Paul's dismissive response go unanswered, pressing for a clear commitment.
The Russian-born champion responded directly: "After four years it's time to have a serious challenges."
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He pointedly added: "Didn't notice your acceptance or rejection. So what are we gonna do?"
The exchange has left the boxing world waiting to see if Paul will seriously consider stepping up to face one of the sport's most accomplished champions.
The potential matchup would represent Paul's first opportunity to challenge for world titles in all four major sanctioning bodies.
Find Out More...
The 27-year-old Paul secured a unanimous decision win against the 58-year-old boxing legend at AT&T Stadium on Friday evening.
In a surprising turn of events, undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev has emerged with a direct challenge to the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Beterbiev, who recently unified all four major belts by defeating Dmitry Bivol in October, broke from his typically reserved character to issue the challenge.
The 39-year-old champion's callout marks a significant escalation in the level of opposition being presented to Paul.
Beterbiev took to Instagram with an unprecedented direct challenge to Paul.
"@JakePaul what can you do in the ring against the current undisputed champion," the champion posted.
"Just know I'm always open to any suggestions."
The callout represents a stark departure from Beterbiev's typically understated demeanour.
Despite approaching 40, industry observers suggest the champion may be seeking more lucrative opportunities in the latter stages of his career.
The challenge comes at a time when Paul has been vocal about his ambitions to capture a world title in boxing.
Paul's response to the challenge came swiftly, though not directly to Beterbiev.
Taking to X, Paul responded to a repost of Beterbiev's Instagram story with characteristic bravado.
"Just seen this....top 5 pound-for-pound fighter in the world calling me out. Hahahahahaha. 4 years in and I run this sport," Paul declared.
The response came amid Paul's continued pursuit of other high-profile matchups.
In his post-fight interview following the Tyson bout, Paul had already set his sights elsewhere, claiming: "Canelo needs me. He knows he needs the payday, so he knows where the money man is at."
Beterbiev refused to let Paul's dismissive response go unanswered, pressing for a clear commitment.
The Russian-born champion responded directly: "After four years it's time to have a serious challenges."
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He pointedly added: "Didn't notice your acceptance or rejection. So what are we gonna do?"
The exchange has left the boxing world waiting to see if Paul will seriously consider stepping up to face one of the sport's most accomplished champions.
The potential matchup would represent Paul's first opportunity to challenge for world titles in all four major sanctioning bodies.
Find Out More...