Jake Paul has once again asked Katie Taylor to do a rematch with Amanda Serrano at a lower weight.
The Youtuber-turned-wrestler-turned-fightmaker previously said he would give the undisputed lightweight world champion a higher career purse if she were cut for a repeat.
Paul, who has disputed the outcome of the pair’s historic and record-breaking clash at Madison Square Garden, put $2 million on the table if the Irish sports legend dropped two weight classes and fought the seven-weight world champion.
Both Taylor and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn laughed off the latter suggestion, going so far as to label them “idiots” and “nonsense”.
However, the American hasn’t given up on the idea of making the Irish icon a lighter weight for any rep.
Speaking ahead of Serrano’s UK debut this weekend, she takes on Sarah Mahfoud for the WBC, WBO and IBF featherweight titles on the same Manchester card that Anthony Cacace fights Michael Magnesi on. the Most Valuable Promotions frontman said any rematch would have to occur at a catchweight.
Paul argues that it is unfair to ask the Puerto Rican from New York to move back up to Taylor’s weight class and wants the fight to be made at 130 pounds, 5 pounds under the lightweight limit.
The social media star also claims a catchweight bout would settle the debate over the greatest female fighter of all time, though most argue Taylor and middleweight Clarresa Shield are the only two in the running for that title. .
“She made the decision to move up and fight Katie Taylor at 135, when she was only like 132 pounds, 133 pounds on fight day, while Katie is moving up to 150. This is her natural weight. [featherweight]this is where she is deadliest,” he told Queensbury Promotions.
“That’s where I think I should [the rematch] pass, or at a set weight of like 130. All Katie would have to do is cut like five pounds, it takes like six hours, and that would really determine who is the greatest woman of all time. Katie Taylor is the best at 135, Amanda Serrano is the best at 126, so if they meet in the middle, there would be no debate there.”
Taylor has fought most of her career at 135 pounds, moving up once to 140 pounds to become a two-weight world champion. The Olympic gold medalist, who returns to the top of the Wembley Arena card on Oct. 29, could drop five pounds but has previously argued that as champion she doesn’t need to compromise and as victor of the first fight any revenge. It should happen on her terms.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that in boxing, where the champion actually wins and the opponent says ‘we just want a rematch in a lower weight division.’ It’s real nonsense to be honest. I don’t know if he’s playing or if it’s naivety on his part, but obviously any rematch will be at 135 pounds. I am the champion and if they want to fight again, that is the weight division he will be in.”
