It’s undeniable that Jake Paul has shocked everyone. Most people were not that into the Gervonta Davis exhibition to begin with, so ‘El Gallo’ got rid of it thanks to the lawsuit against Davis. Then the Cleveland native went against his nature and landed a fight against Anthony Joshua. The pair will now clash at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, live on Netflix, on December 19. However, did you know Paul had other options besides Joshua? Terence Crawford!

Not too long ago, Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger reported that Crawford, Ryan Garcia, and some others were approached to replace Davis. While none of those fights panned out, Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian has now revealed that ‘Bud’ Crawford had actually accepted the fight offer. Not just that, the co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has also shed light on former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s involvement. 

Nakisa Bidarian says Terence Crawford was 100% in

Speaking to TMZ Sports’ Babcock, the MVP co-founder said, “As soon as we knew we were going to move away from Gervonta Davis, we had a list of opponents. And the three names Jake gravitated towards were Ryan Garcia, Terence Crawford, and Anthony Joshua.” He further added that there were 30 fighters in total who had agreed to face ‘The Problem Child,’ including Anthony Joshua and Crawford.

“AJ being one of them, Crawford being another, and AJ is the one that we came to an agreement on,” he added. When asked specifically about ‘Bud’ Crawford, Bidarian revealed, “Yes, 100%.” He later emphasized that the Joshua fight is a more winnable matchup for Paul than the Gervonta Davis one, despite Joshua’s size and accolades. “Tank is a much smaller man, but he’s quick, he’s fast, he’s precise, he’s super skilled, and he [has] knockout power,” he added.

Bidarian may not have taken a hard look at Joshua’s track record—25 knockouts in 28 wins—and the unforgettable image of Francis Ngannou lying on the canvas last year. Still, he continued explaining why Joshua presents an easier challenge. “AJ is big, strong, and has knockout power, but he’s definitely slower than Tank. He’s definitely less skilled than Tank.”

Babcock then pressed Bidarian about Jake Paul’s training camp and whether he might seek insight from someone like Oleksandr Usyk, who has defeated Joshua twice. “We have a great relationship with Usyk and his team,” Bidarian told TMZ Sports. “You probably saw, I think two weeks ago, Joshua was in camp with Usyk’s coaches. So I don’t know who’s picking whose brain, but Usyk’s definitely in the conversation here.”

While Bidarian claims Crawford had accepted the fight, a report from a boxing insider suggests Paul’s business partner was lying.

Rick Glaser doesn’t care what MVP says; Crawford didn’t accept the Jake Paul fight

Around the time Nakisa revealed Crawford had accepted the fight offer, insider Rick Glaser had something else to report. “Being reported by [Mike Coppinger] that [Terence Crawford] was offered the Jake Paul fight, & smartly turned it down,” he wrote on X. He branded the Paul vs. Joshua fight a clown show, claiming Terence Crawford isn’t desperate. 

“Crawford doesn’t need any clown shows, isn’t desperate, & isn’t going to play second fiddle to anyone any longer. Terence Crawford knows the business of Boxing,” he added. When a user pointed out what MVP reported about Crawford, Glaser refused to budge. “Unequivocally not true,” he responded to the user. “I [don’t] care what it says, I do know!”

It appears there are conflicting reports about Crawford’s involvement in the talks. Unless Crawford himself steps forward to clarify, it’s hard to determine who’s telling the truth. But what’s your take on the situation?