The scheduled Aug. 6 bout between Jake Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr. was canceled Saturday night due to weight issues with Rahman, Most Valuable Promotions announced.
Paul (5-0) and Rahman (12-1) were slated to meet in an eight-round bout contested at 200 pounds. The pay-per-view card was scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
MVP said Rahman signed a contract for a bout at 200 pounds and Paul was OK if Rahman weighed-in at 205 next Friday. But Rahman’s camp told Paul’s team on Saturday that he planned to fight at 215 and would withdraw if that weight wasn’t allowed.
“MVP and Jake Paul will not reward someone that has conducted themselves in such a deceiving and calculated manner,” MVP said in the statement. “Therefore, MVP is left with no choice but to cancel the August 6th event. This forced outcome impacts Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and every other fighter on this card who have trained tirelessly over the past few months for this event.
“The boxing community must hold Hasim Rahman Jr. liable for his lack of professionalism.”
Paul was initially slated to fight Tommy Fury on Aug. 6 before the latter was denied entry to the United States for unspecified reasons.
Paul said on Twitter that it isn’t an accident that neither fighter wanted to get in the ring with him.
“First Tommy Fumbled and now Hasim Rahman Crumbled,” Paul wrote. “These boxers are the most difficult people to work with and continually lack professionalism and confidence to fight me. I apologize to all of the of the other fighters on the card, our partners, our team and the fans.”
Rahman, a heavyweight, has weighed as much as 269 pounds for a bout during his career.
The aforementioned Serrano was scheduled to fight Brenda Carabajal in the co-main event.
–Field Level Media
