YouTube boxer Jake Paul seems to think he is a jack of all trades ‘AND’ master of all. You see, back in August, during an episode of BS w/Jake Paul, the social media star went viral for claiming he could beat fellow influencer IShowSpeed in a race. If you weren’t aware, Speed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., is quite the speedster.
Watkins recently competed in a race with none other than Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles. Believe it or not, despite losing the race, Watkins performed spectacularly for a non-professional losing the race marginally. Regardless, back to Paul—the 27-year-old bet Gary Vaynerchuk $25K that he could beat Watkins in a 40-yard dash.
Fast forward to today, former NFL player Shannon Sharpe released an interview with Watkins, which happened a day after ‘El Gallo’ defeated Mike Tyson via unanimous decision. In the interview, the former Denver Broncos player probed Watkins about Paul’s bet, asking about his thoughts on the matter.
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Without any hesitation, Watkins suggested it would be too easy for him to beat Paul in a race. “It’s just charity at that point,” Watkins told Sharpe. “Like I don’t even know what he’s even thinking. Like, he’s not beating me.” When Sharpe tried to confirm whether a non-professional athlete like Paul could beat him, the influencer responded with a resounding, “No.”
Watkins went on to suggest that the only time he has lost a race was against an Olympic Champion, Lyles, noting, “That shows a lot.” While the actual race between Paul and Speed hasn’t happened yet, IShowSpeed seems eager for it. Meanwhile, talks of a boxing match between them have emerged.
IShowSpeed vs. Jake Paul: Is it real?
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After Paul defeated Tyson on November 15th, Watkins appeared on stage in an interview at ComplexCon. During the interview, Watkins claimed he could “beat Jake Paul in a fight,” as he felt Paul doesn’t look “fluent” in his fights. He even added “If I had six months of training, I am beating any boxer in the world,” noting, “I think I am knocking him out” in 5th or 6th round.
These statements seem to have caught the eye of Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian, who quickly offered the influencer $20 million for the fight. “Cool. Tell him I have $10 million for him right now. Sign this week. If he beats Jake he gets a $10 million bonus. Put your signature where your clout is,” Bidarian responded.
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Paul himself also responded to the statements from Speed, writing, “Speed knows better. My guy was just playing for sure.”
That said, it appears a rivalry between Jake Paul and IShowSpeed is starting to take shape. Whether this rivalry ends in a fight or a race is yet to be seen. Until then, why don’t you share your prediction for both sports in the comments?
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What’s your perspective on:
Can Jake Paul really outrun IShowSpeed, or is he just setting himself up for embarrassment?
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