There is an adage for success that you know you’ve made it when you get sued. If that is true, then Jake Paul has officially made it in the boxing business as a rival promoter — Eddie Hearn is suing him for $100 million for defamation.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and addressed public accusations Paul made after the record-breaking Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor fight in Madison Square Garden.
‼️ Eddie Hearn's lawyer Frank Salzano has now clarified that Hearn is seeking damages in excess of $100MILLION in his defamation lawsuit against Jake Paul: "He was given an opportunity to retract his defamatory statements and refused to. Now he will face the legal consequences."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 24, 2022
“Both legally and ethically there is a clear line separating opinion from defamatory lies,” Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn’s attorney Frank Salzano said to the media. “Jake Paul knows that, and he purposely crossed that line when he wrongly accused Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn of fixing fights. Nonetheless he was still given an opportunity to retract his defamatory statements and refused to.”
Through his Most Valuable Promotions, Paul guides the career of super featherweight champion Amanda Serrano. Paul and Hearn worked together in April to co-promote the huge women’s fight, as Katie Taylor is signed to Matchroom. With a sellout crowd of 19,187, ringside judge Glenn Feldman scored it 97-93 for Taylor with another seeing it 96-93 for Taylor, with the third, saw it for Serrano at 96-94.
After Taylor’s win, Paul had a lot to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8mrRY-BWFk
“I still think Amanda Serrano won the fight,” Paul said to IFL TV after the fight. “And then you see how this judge Glenn Feldman, who had the biggest gap between Taylor and Serrano. Everyone pretty much had it a draw, a draw, or that Amanda won. But there’s this judge, Glenn Feldman, who scored it such a big gap for Taylor, gave rounds that Amanda clearly won to Taylor.”
Then Paul took it further, accusing Feldman of judging it for Anthony Joshua in Usyk vs. Joshua II in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia. Feldman scored the Aug. 20 fight 115-113 for Joshua, whereas the other two saw the fight in Usyk’s favor with scores of 115-113 and 116-112. Joshua is the most famous fighter in Hearn’s stable.
“Then this judge, Glenn Feldman, shows up in Saudi (Arabia) and scores Anthony Joshua to win (against Oleksandr Usyk),” Paul continued. “Everyone who watched the fight (knows) it’s not a split decision. Usyk had a runaway victory, clearly won the fight. This judge, Glenn Feldman, gives it to Anthony Joshua. It’s like a repeated crime here. This type of sh!t, I’m going to call it out here in boxing because it’s bullsh*t. Clearly, this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.”
However, Hearn was adamant that Paul would pay for his opinion. The tactics that work on YouTube to get a buzz have real-world applications in the boxing business.
“Jake’s comments will be dealt with,” Hearn said during a video he released. “I’m not prepared as I would be on many occasions to take what he said with a pinch of salt on this occasion. It’s bang out of order, and totally disrespectful to the sport of boxing and to me and to us. I take it extremely personal, because they’re questioning our credentials and our integrity, and I won’t have it. He’s gonna have to deal with the brunt of that. Maybe he don’t care, but I do.
“Glenn Feldman is one of the best judges I’ve ever seen in boxing. Sometimes people have a score card you don’t agree with. (Paul) doesn’t even understand — when he says, ‘Why are Matchroom still choosing that judge?’ Matchroom don’t choose the judge, you idiot, the commission do. I don’t even think he knows the rules or structure or how it works. Sometimes all this Jake Paul stuff is a laugh and it’s funny and it’s good for business. This is not, and it will be dealt with.”
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