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‘He Became Irrelevant When He Ducked Jake Paul’: Fans Go Wild as Hasim Rahman Jr’s Vitor Belfort Replacement Revealed

Published 11/16/2022, 5:47 AM EST

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Like father, like son, the adage doesn’t wish to sit on the nose here. His father has had the fortune of facing some big names at the beginning of this century. Unfortunately, despite the presence of some excellent boxers, Hasim Rahman Jr. is yet to leave his mark on the sport.

Born in Baltimore, the son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman Sr. has fought thirteen matches in his professional career, out of which he lost only one, against Kenzie Morrison in April this year. Incidentally, the latter, too, happens to be the son of another heavyweight boxer, Tommy Morrison.

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In August, streaming platform DAZN announced a fight between Rahman Jr. and former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. Scheduled for November 19th at Austin’s Moody Center, the match is now canceled. Testing positive for Covid-19, Vitor has been pulled out of the contest.

As talks on his replacements went haywire. Two names became prominent – Shannon Briggs and Greg Hardy. While the former is a fifty years old former WBO Heavyweight title, holder. The latter is a former NFL Defensive end who has fought only one professional bout so far.

Hasim Rahman Jr. versus Jake Paul

His sorties into celebrity boxing began when his name got associated with Jake Paul. When Tommy Fury couldn’t sign up for their second fight, Rahman Jr. budged in as the replacement.

But fate had other plans; at 224 lbs. Rahman Jr. was considered too heavy for a fight against 191 lbs. Jake Paul. The resultant issue of weight led to acrimonious exchanges between the two teams.

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It seems Hasim was agreeable to bringing down his weight to 215 lbs. But the Jake Paul camp claimed that they had pulled out of the deal since the former hadn’t been able to come down to the mandated 200 or, at the best, 205 lbs.

An indignant Rahman Jr derided Paul, “If you beat me up while I was 230, what’s the problem fighting me at 215?” Rahman said. “What’s the problem fighting me at 210? It’s clearly them not wanting to fight. It’s not me pulling out of the fight.”

On the other hand, Paul’s team conferred Rahman Jr’s refusal to follow the deal, stating, “The boxing community must hold Hasim Rahman Jr. liable for his lack of professionalism.”

Shannon Briggs or Greg Hardy?

The fans weren’t happy with the latest turn of events, discussing who would be better for Hasim and simultaneously holding him responsible for such mishaps.

Definitely a Jake Paul fan.

The Gold Blooded does have some backing.

It’s a toss-up whether Greg Hardy or Shannon Briggs wins. And Greg wins.

What goes around, comes around. Jake Paul fans are not happy to see Hasim’s name-grabbing headlines.

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For the cancellation of the Jake Paul fight, both parties chose to stay with their version of the story. But the cancellation of the second fight against Vitor is nothing but a bolt from the blue. Hence, does Hasim Rahman Jr. deserve a chance to prove his mettle? Please share your thoughts with us.

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Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

1,546Articles

One take at a time

After completing 18 years in the corporate sector, Jaideep decided to make a move out of the comfort zone and follow his heart's calling to becoming a writer. His understanding of Boxing began with Iron Mike's debut as an 18 year old in 1985. Like anyone and everyone else, he holds Muhammad Ali as the greatest, though his personal favorite remains the 'PacMan' Manny Pacquiao for his speed and sheer toughness.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale