JAKE PAUL was called an ‘absolute f***ing muppet’ by Tony Bellew after claiming he is ‘carrying the sport of boxing’.
The YouTuber-turned boxer is 5-0 in his career and won three fights in 2021.
Listing his goals for this year on Twitter, Paul included: “Go 2 chiropractor 2 heal back from carrying the sport of boxing.”
But ex-world champion Bellew hit out at the social media post, as he slammed the American for failing to fight a professional boxer.
Bellew, 39, told DAZN: “First of all, I’ve got no hate or malice towards Jake Paul, crack on, do what you’re doing, it’s great.
“But in no way shape or form can you claim to carry my sport you absolute f***ing muppet, he hasn’t even fought a boxer yet.
“So how can you claim to be carrying the sport when you haven’t fought someone who comes from my sport, it’s unbelievable!
“I don’t like the fact it’s labelled a boxing match because he’s not facing a boxer.”
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Tommy Fury, 22, was set to be Paul’s first opponent with prior pro boxing experience.
But Fury was forced to pull out with a broken rib and bacterial chest infection, with Tyron Woodley filling in as his replacement.
Paul, 24, had beaten Woodley, 39, only four months earlier on points, but knocked out the ex-UFC champion in round six of their rematch.
It added to KO’s over YouTuber ‘AnEsonGib’, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37, and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37.
But without any of those being boxers, Bellew urged Paul to fight UFC legend Anderson Silva, 46, who at least has a 2-1 record in the ring.
He said: “If he really wants to fight a boxer, I can tell you someone he can face, Anderson Silva.
“Anderson Silva is an MMA guy, so he’s not a traditional boxer, but, he has beaten a boxer and he hasn’t just beaten any boxer, he’s beaten the former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
“Face someone like him then we can listen to you talk about being a boxer, but until you face a boxer you can’t state that you’re a boxer and last thing you need to do is say you’re carrying my sport.”
