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LA Lakers forward LeBron James was ecstatic on social media as he watched YouTube star Jake Paul go head-to-head with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley on Showtime PPV. The Sunday night boxing match caught the eye of James, who cheered on Paul and posted his thoughts on Twitter during the bout.
Jake Paul is a Cleveland native, which inspired the former Cleveland Cavaliers star James to tweet that he should have flown in and watched the match in person. The fight was an eight-round battle in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the home court of the Cavs.
Retired journeyman center and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins was so entertained by the match that James replied to his former Cavs teammate’s tweet.
In the end, LeBron James’ excitement was rewarded when, at the end of the fight, Jake Paul won via split decision over Woodley. The victory gave Paul a 4-0 record in his burgeoning boxing career as he tries to gain genuine respect in the sport.
Jake Paul nearly in tears after learning LeBron James tweeted about his match
In the post-fight press conference, Jake Paul was told that LeBron James was tweeting about the match. The boxer became emotional, as he recalled how he used to watch the four-time MVP in the stands in the same arena where Paul won his latest fight.
“Damn,” Paul shockingly said when told that LeBron James tweeted that he wished to be in Cleveland for the fight. “Really? Man, that’s crazy. I'm getting teary-eyed. That’s sick.”
“Like I said, I was in those stands 12 years ago, screaming, ‘Look, LeBron! LeBron!’ Trying to get him to notice me. So for him to even tweet about this, that’s crazy, right?
“I'm being really hard on myself, but I've accomplished so much in the past four fights. No one's doing this. I’m trying not to cry, but for him to even tweet, that's crazy.”
LeBron James is still the biggest star the city of Cleveland has ever produced. But if Jake Paul continues to impress fans and experts in the boxing world, James might have competition for the unofficial title of the city’s most popular sports figure.
The next match for Paul is yet to be determined. Woodley wants a rematch, but it’s unclear if the Cleveland star would give him that opportunity.
"Of course, he wants the payday," Paul said. "You had your opportunity. You had your chance. If you get the tattoo of 'I love Jake Paul,' let's run it back."
As Paul seeks to go 5-0 in the boxing ring, perhaps LeBron James will be the one watching him in person and cheering his name next time.
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