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Tony Bellew has addressed the recent rumors surrounding himself and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
The rumors stem from the American claiming to not know who Bellew was during a discussion with Eddie Hearn before the Taylor vs. Serrano bout. Since then, fans have been trying to build up a potential fight.
'Bomber' recently spoke to iFL TV, where he was asked about Paul. He responded:
"I'm not even entertaining that. I haven't thought about it... Since that video, I've actually come across [Paul]. He came out of a door and I wasn't expecting it and before I knew it, he was right there in front of me and he just put his head down and said, 'I do respect you.' Touched my fist and just walked off. I can have that all day, sound."
When Bellew was asked about 'The Problem Child' believing that he could beat Canelo Alvarez, the Brit replied:
"Stop, stop. He doesn't believe that, he doesn't because he's a bright kid, he's intelligent. He's a bright kid, he's not stupid. He says things for reactions, he's not going to get a reaction out of me."
Bellew's return to the ring to face Jake Paul always seemed beyond the realm of possibility. The former world champion is 39 years old and is enjoying his retirement with his family.
Jake Paul, however, has ambitions to one day fight boxing's biggest star, Canelo Alvarez.
Paul announced a return to the ring for sometime in August, but an opponent has not yet been finalized. He could still face off against Tyson Fury's younger brother, Tommy Fury, after 'TNT' pulled out of their original fight in December due to injury.
Another option for the Cleveland native could be British cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (1-0), after Paul lost a wager to Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
Watch Bellew's full interview with iFL TV here:
Would Canelo Alvarez actually fight Jake Paul?
In 2021, Alvarez responded to whether he’d ever want to box Jake Paul. He stated that while he was open to the idea, Paul would have to keep fighting and learning.
Fast forward to 2022 and Jake Paul was asked if he would take the fight and if he would win. 'The Problem Child' was uncharacteristically humble in his response:
“Look I would take the fight. Right now, I wouldn’t beat Canelo... Five fights from now, six fights from now, I would put on an awesome f*****g fight and we’ll see what happens.”
Depending on how many fights Paul takes in the months ahead, we could end up seeing a match between him and Canelo Alvarez in the future. The fight is possible with the way 'The Problem Child' is constantly marketing himself in the sport.
Watch the clips of Alvarez and Paul here (via Happy Punch Clips):
