JAKE PAUL’S Triller backers are ready to offer him a Floyd Mayweather fight ‘for the right price’ – but only if the YouTuber beats Ben Askren.
Paul headlines Triller’s next pay-per-view on April 17, facing ex-UFC welterweight Askren.
Despite just one year’s worth of professional experience, with two knockouts in as many fights, the social media star has become one of the most polarising names in boxing.
Paul, 24, made noise after he challenged UFC kingpin Conor McGregor, 32, and even claimed he had $50milllion waiting for him in January.
But after the Irishman was beaten by Dustin Poirier, 32, on his UFC return, the offer was instead reduced to $10,000.
Paul was then subject to a shock callout from Mayweather – set to face his brother Logan this year – who said he would fight the younger Paul should he get past Askren.
And Triller’s ‘Fight Club’, led by Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of billion dollar film company Relativity Media, are also on board to front the cash for the spectacle.
Kavanaugh, 46, told SunSport: “For the right price we would definitely do that. If Jake wins this fight it makes a big difference.
“He would have beat one of the best fighters there is, he may not be the best boxers, we don’t know, but he’s a real fighter.
“If Jake then calls for a big fight, he has a little more credibility to do it. If Jake wins this fight, he can go to major fights, a Mayweather-type thing.”
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Paul, 24, first boxed in an exhibition in 2018, but turned pro two years later alongside Logan, 25.
He beat online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ on his debut before leaving ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 36, out cold in November on Triller’s first PPV.
Paul acted as chief support for Mike Tyson, 54, that night, after the heavyweight icon returned to face Roy Jones Jr, 52.
But for his third fight he will headline the bill, against Askren, 36, who retired from the UFC in 2019.
Kavanaugh – whose firm have produced over 250 movies – projects the event with sell 2M PPVs – surpassing Tyson’s 1.6m sold on his return.
And he credits Paul’s army of fans and followers – 20MILLION of which subscribe to his YouTube channel – as a major part in his box office appeal.
Kavanaugh, who has worked with Hollywood’s elite, revealed it took him just one meeting to recognise Paul’s star quality, which compares to other A-listers.
He said: “I’ve always tended to know who’s going to be a star before they’re a star.
“When I was working with Bradley Cooper in Limitless, he was the ‘Hangover guy’ but you could just tell he was going to be a star.
“He had the quality not only on set but off set. There’s just a certain character that comes off.
“When Gerard Butler and I were doing ‘300’ he was the guy behind the mask in ‘Phantom of the Opera’.
“Again, on-camera, off-camera, you could just feel he was going to be a movie star.
“Channing Tattum, his second movie we did called ‘Fighting’ and then after that ‘Dear John’ you could just tell he was going to be a star.
“Jake has that quality. When you sit in a room and talk to him he has that air that exodus stardom, it just comes out.”
