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Tory BarronESPN Editor
If we know anything about Jake Paul, it’s that the YouTuber turned boxer is a big fan of bets — and an even bigger fan of fat checks. For that reason, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise that Paul decided to put some extra skin in the game ahead of Saturday’s historic women’s headliner at Madison Square Garden between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
At Thursday’s news conference for the fight, Paul (who is representing Serrano) seized the opportunity to challenge Eddie Hearn (Taylor’s promoter) to a grandiose public wager.
“I’ve got a bet for you, Eddie,” Paul said.
“I’m not getting a tattoo,” Hearn quipped, referencing the wager Paul made ahead of his December 2021 rematch with former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
“I’ll bet you all the jewelry that I’m wearing right now that Amanda wins the fight,” Paul said, gesturing to his iced-out wrists.
Hearn answered the proposal with another jab, joking that he had hoped to put more on the line than that.
In true Paul fashion, the polarizing boxer refused to be dissuaded, upping the ante to $500,000 before the two pushed the wager to $1,000,000.
From there, things took a productive turn as the pair eventually shook on “a million dollars plus odds.”
How confident is @JakePaul that @serranosisters will win on Saturday night? Well, he’s willing to put $1 million dollars on the line with @EddieHearn… 👀 pic.twitter.com/wwawXWQxnf
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 28, 2022
Serrano, who is favored (-140) over the defending undisputed lightweight champion, joked that there was “no pressure” on her now.
Taylor has a 20-0 record coming into this fight with six wins coming by way of knockout, while Serrano boasts a 42-1-1 record with 30 knockouts. The bout marks the first time in Madison Square Garden’s history that two women are scheduled to main-event a boxing card.
“When Amanda wins, I’m giving your million dollars to her,” Paul said.
Never let it be said the man doesn’t know how to get people talking.