JAKE PAUL has been dubbed “the most feared man in boxing” with fighters “hoping that their phone doesn’t ring” to face him.
The YouTube star-turned prizefighter is set to return on August 13 with Tommy Fury rumoured to be in talks with him.
And ex-UFC title challenger-turned pundit Chael Sonnen claimed all other reputable boxers are too afraid of losing to Paul.
Sonnen, 45, said on his YouTube channel: “Where are we getting Fury from?”
“Is it just a case of there’s nobody else willing to do it? That’s how I feel; Jake Paul is the most feared man in boxing.
“There is nobody in boxing with a meaningful record or any kind of name or reputation that has called him out and they’re hoping that their phone doesn’t ring because they don’t want that.
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“It would be a main event and it would be the highest payday of their career, everything that they’ve ever dreamed about, everything they ever said that they wanted could be theirs.
“They don’t want it. So is Fury willing to be the guy that does want to do it?
“You’ve heard from his brother, you’ve heard from his father and you’ve heard from him, he’s said yes.”
Paul, 25, was due to fight Fury, 23, in December until the brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, 33, pulled out with a broken rib.
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Instead, the American knocked out replacement Tyron Woodley, 40, who he initially beat on points in August.
It added to KOs over gamer ‘AnEsonGib’, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37, and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37.
Fury would stand once again as Paul’s first opponent with prior professional boxing experience.
But Sonnen warned about the former Love Islander pulling out again after promoter Eddie Hearn claimed the celeb grudge match was back on.
“Now, he had the opportunity and he said no, he found the reason not to do it. Should we the audience believe him a second time?
“That’s up to you, but Eddie Hearn is the one that came out and dropped this nugget so I thought that Eddie must represent Fury and be trying to get his guy a fight.
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“He went on to say, ‘No, I do not, I have no hand in this, I just have my ear to the grindstone and this is what I’m hearing’.
“I’m not hearing anything different, are you guys? I hear a strong rumour that Nate Diaz and Paul would like to make a match but that can’t happen.”
