In a recent viral moment, Floyd Mayweather’s team got into talks about Jake Paul and Muhammad Ali, a mix that, at first, seems wrong to many who love boxing rules. Still, this was not about their skills or what they left behind, as it focused on their impact, work outside the ring, and how they helped others.
This chat took place on The Mayweather Channel. Jeff Mayweather, Floyd’s uncle and a big name in boxing training, was asked if Paul and Ali were alike. He said flatly, “I don’t see one. Not one.”
But the person asking kept going, noting things Paul did that felt like what Ali did when he was not fighting. After his win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Paul promised to pay for the health costs of his old foe Ben Askren, who is undergoing a double lung transplant due to pneumonia and a staph infection. Paul also spoke against the U.S. health system and called out UFC boss Dana White for not helping.
Paul said, “None of these people like Dana [White] or any of these people are stepping in, so I feel like I have to do something. That’s really all it is.”
Could Paul be a changing factor?
The link to Ali comes not from Paul’s wins, which, as we all know include fights against older MMA stars and his latest win over Chavez Jr., but from his strong words and work to promote change. Paul has:
- Talked openly against low pay in UFC
- Donated fight money to good causes
- Pushed for women’s boxing and signed top women fighters
- Set up gyms and distributed gear to communities that need it
These steps, while may look small next to Ali’s big civil rights moves, show Paul as someone shaking up the world of fight sports.
Jeff Mayweather’s slow acknowledgment
Though he first said no, Jeff Mayweather later said Paul’s acts to help Askren and support women’s boxing were “nice” and “true.” Yet, he noted that Paul needs the key thing that made Ali a star: “Muhammad Ali was a top boxer and some say the best ever.”
Paul, for his part, has not yet fought top fighters at their best. Many say his path has been more about show than real skill.
Jake Paul’s perspective
Paul himself has joined the talks, saying to the media, “I’m the greatest thing to happen to boxing since Muhammad Ali, and there’s no debating that.”
He used his work on fighter pay, his promo group (Most Valuable Promotions), and his good deeds as proof of his role. But many quickly said this claim was too soon and not right.
The Mayweather-Paul-Ali link is not about who fights best, it is a very deeper debate. It is about how boxing is changing.
Jake Paul might never reach Muhammad Ali’s level in matches, but his work to change the game and culture of fighting sports has made even old-school fans like the Mayweathers take note.
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