JAKE PAUL said KSI is ‘scared’ to fight and accused his YouTube rival of using coronavirus as excuse not to face him.
The internet stars looked primed to meet in a grudge match after KSI beat eldest of the Pauls, Logan, but split-decision in November 2019.
Jake then added fuel the the fire after he stopped KSI’s close friend ‘AnEsonGib’ in round one of his January pro debut last year.
The American has since enhanced his record to 2-0 after he brutally knocked out ex-NBA point guard Nate Robinson in November.
Meanwhile, KSI is yet to return to the ring, focussing on his music career instead, while maintaining he cannot train amid lockdown restrictions in the UK.
But Jake has blasted the Brit – real name Olajide William Olatunji – and claimed KSI’s reasons to not fight ‘don’t add up’.
He told SunSport: “We’re starting to realise you know that KSI doesn’t want this fight.
“After he beat my brother, he said he wanted to do the fight but he was like hey fight my friend first fight my friend.
“OK, I fight give I’m not give out in the first round. So after that, the fight was perfectly set up.
“But then KSI says, ‘Oh, I’m focusing on my music right now. I don’t know if I could fight’.
YOU'RE NEXT!
Who won the war of words/bleeps?
pic.twitter.com/LrOThqVSS2
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) January 31, 2020
BET OF THE DAY: GET LIVERPOOL AT 10/1 vs LEIPZIG – PLUS MESSI AND MBAPPE 70/1 OFFER
“But KSI’s music isn’t doing anything worthy at all unless he has a feature on the track.
“He’s never dropped a single where he is by himself that’s done well at all. And he’s not making money from the music space.
“Because where you make money in music is touring.
“But you can’t tour because of Covid but then, you know he is blaming not being able to train on Covid.
“But meanwhile, Anthony Joshua is from the UK. And he’s training and fighting people. So just like his storylines don’t add up.”
In Britain, only ‘elite’ athletes are allowed to train and compete under Covid-19 guidelines, applying to professional boxers.
But as KSI, 27, does not have a British Board of Boxing Control license, he does not fall under that category, having only fought in exhibitions in the UK.
He was licensed professionally in California, where he won his debut against Logan, 25, but is yet to obtain one in Britain.
Despite the fallout from coronavirus, Jake is willing to give in to any of KSI’s demands to ensure they finally fight.
But the former vlogger doubts they will ever get to share the ring, and reckons KSI’s fear of facing him will be exposed.
Jake, 24, said: “He’s not giving the fans what they want. Because that’s the fight that everyone wants to see. He wants to be the A side of the fight.
“And he kept on talking about how I want to be a side I want to be a side and he wants to do it in London and blah, blah, blah, blah, cool.
“OK, so we could do it wherever you want. You could be the A side. It doesn’t matter to me. Let’s just get the fight done.
“But the longer that he waits to fight me, the more asks will be in it’s going to be fortunately for him, but I just don’t think the fights gonna happen.
“I said it before I fought Gib. And I’m saying and now he’s just scared and I think people are starting to realise it.”
