Former world champion Johnny Nelson is convinced Daniel Dubois’ challenge to Jake Paul is a ‘publicity’ stunt but believes the heavyweight world champion has every right to try and cash in.
Paul eased to a comfortable victory over ring legend Mike Tyson, a man 31 years older than him, in Dallas on Friday night, claiming to have banked €40million (£31.5m) for what was a comfortably night’s work.
Paul’s 11-1 boxing record is largely made up of former MMA fighters with one of his few fights against ‘legitimate’ and active boxers against Tommy Fury resulting in defeat.
Paul has now received invitations from some of the sport’s biggest hitters with undisputed light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev offering the American a fight following his win over Tyson.
On Tuesday morning, Paul shared a direct message exchange with IBF heavyweight champion Dubois, who defended his title with a destructive win over Anthony Joshua in September.
Dubois wrote: “Hi Jake, good business on the weekend but how would you feel fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world this is Daniel Dubois calling you out. Let’s get it on.
Paul responded: ‘I’m going to have [promoter] Nakisa [Bidarian] talk to [Frank] Warren and get you in line for the throne. Unlike Artur [Beterbiev] at least you have a few thousand fans.’
Former cruiserweight king Nelson isn’t convinced anything will come of today’s exchange but does credit Paul for putting himself in a position where he cannot be ignored.
‘It’s a great publicity stunt’ Nelson told Metro. ‘Remember when Chris Eubank Jr first came on the scene and Chris Snr was using his name in the same sentence as Gennady Golovkin? Once you start to do that people start to talk. That’s how things get rolling. It doesn’t mean it is ever going to happen.
‘Canelo Alvarez, Artur Beterbiev, Daniel Dubois… it’s all hype. For Jake Paul it is business and he has done a great job.
‘I’m a boxing snob, I don’t like the fact that he is buying scalps, I don’t like the fact he bought this Mike Tyson scalp. But it was good business. Old boys like myself will have hoped he had one shot left in him to knock Paul out. but he didn’t.’
Asked if a legitimate world champion in Dubois directly calling out Paul was a worrying sign, Nelson continued: I don’t think so. Everyone is entitled to jump on the gravy train. We have seen it with Tony Bellew and Carl Froch this week.
‘There will be many thinking, “this is mad money for fighting a kid who is domestic level at the best”. Daniel Dubois is just on the same gravy train hoping Paul is delusional enough to have a go. Everyone is at it and I get it.’
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