Report- Hasim Rahman Jr Will Be Jake Paul New Opponent

When Youtube/social media star turned boxer Jake Paul took to his platforms and deadlined Tommy Fury to get back on track for their already re-scheduled August 6th bout, he obviously was serious. This, as a report Tuesday night said that Paul has a new opponent for his Showtime PPV at Madison Square Garden.

SI.com and DAZN boxing insider Chris Mannix reported that Hasim Rahman Jr. will be that replacement

Jake Paul is finalizing a deal to face Hasim Rahman Jr. on August 6th, sources familiar with the negotiations told @SInow. Rahman (12-1) is the son of ex-heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. Paul pivoting away from Tommy Fury, who was denied entry into the U.S. last week.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) July 6, 2022

The 31 year old Rahman Jr. is 12-1 as a pro against largely poor competition. And, the loss came in April in Las Vegas, when he was stopped in the 5th round by James Mckenzie Morrison, the son of the late former heavyweight champ Tommy Morrison.

As for Paul moving on, we wrote last week about him putting out a warning video to the Englishman Fury to get his visa issues resolved, etc. or Paul would pick another opponent. Paul saying in the video,

“Update. We have spoken to Tommy Fury’s lawyers. They’re all advising to just go to the (U.K.) Embassy and get his visa. That’s all he has to do.

“He hasn’t gone yet. He’s not communicating with us on what he’s doing. This is just another case of ‘Tommy Fumbles’ being scared to fight me….I think the Fury family is trying to manipulate something here to make me fight in the U.K. Okay! You want me to fight in the U.K.? Show me $15 million….. but ya’ll can’t do that. Ya’ll don’t have $15 million.

This is embarrassing. Go to the embassy. Get your visa. Let’s make this fight happen. Stop ducking me and stop wasting me time.” 

Fury’s visa issue was being further complicated by his half brother and WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury’s long association with Ireland’s Daniel Kinahan. Kinahan is the powerful boxing manager and adviser who according to the U.S. government is also a purported organized crime kingpin. The FBI recently sanctioned Kinahan, who was last known to be in Dubai, and several associates and placed $5 million bounties on them for their arrests. As part of that move, the U.S. also banned hundreds of people believed to be associated with him from entering the U.S.

Now, it’s seems, for a second time, that it won’t matter and Paul will fight someone else.

Paul is 5-0 having not faced a legitimate boxer in any of his bouts. The last two wins were over former UFC Welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. The second of which was a thunderous, one punch KO in Tampa, FL, last December. Paul also owns one punch kayoes of former MMA fighter Ben Askren and former NBA player Nate Robinson.

Rahman Jr. is mostly famous because his father was briefly unified heavyweight champion with his own one punch KO of Lennox Lewis in South Africa in April 2001. Lewis regained the title with an equal one punch elimination of Rahman in the rematch seven months later.