feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

YouTube boxer Jake Paul seems to think he is a jack of all trades ‘AND’ master of all. You see, back in August, during an episode of BS w/Jake Paul, the social media star went viral for claiming he could beat fellow influencer IShowSpeed in a race. If you weren’t aware, Speed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., is quite the speedster.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

Watkins recently competed in a race with none other than Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles. Believe it or not, despite losing the race, Watkins performed spectacularly for a non-professional losing the race marginally. Regardless, back to Paul—the 27-year-old bet Gary Vaynerchuk $25K that he could beat Watkins in a 40-yard dash. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Fast forward to today, former NFL player Shannon Sharpe released an interview with Watkins, which happened a day after ‘El Gallo’ defeated Mike Tyson via unanimous decision. In the interview, the former Denver Broncos player probed Watkins about Paul’s bet, asking about his thoughts on the matter.

Without any hesitation, Watkins suggested it would be too easy for him to beat Paul in a race. “It’s just charity at that point,” Watkins told Sharpe. “Like I don’t even know what he’s even thinking. Like, he’s not beating me.” When Sharpe tried to confirm whether a non-professional athlete like Paul could beat him, the influencer responded with a resounding, “No.”

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

ADVERTISEMENT

Watkins went on to suggest that the only time he has lost a race was against an Olympic Champion, Lyles, noting, “That shows a lot.” While the actual race between Paul and Speed hasn’t happened yet, IShowSpeed seems eager for it. Meanwhile, talks of a boxing match between them have emerged. 

ADVERTISEMENT

IShowSpeed vs. Jake Paul: Is it real? 

After Paul defeated Tyson on November 15th, Watkins appeared on stage in an interview at ComplexCon. During the interview, Watkins claimed he could “beat Jake Paul in a fight,” as he felt Paul doesn’t look “fluent” in his fights. He even added “If I had six months of training, I am beating any boxer in the world,” noting, “I think I am knocking him out” in 5th or 6th round. 

ADVERTISEMENT

article-image

Reuters

These statements seem to have caught the eye of Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian, who quickly offered the influencer $20 million for the fight. “Cool. Tell him I have $10 million for him right now. Sign this week. If he beats Jake he gets a $10 million bonus. Put your signature where your clout is,” Bidarian responded. 

Paul himself also responded to the statements from Speed, writing, “Speed knows better. My guy was just playing for sure.”

ADVERTISEMENT

That said, it appears a rivalry between Jake Paul and IShowSpeed is starting to take shape. Whether this rivalry ends in a fight or a race is yet to be seen. Until then, why don’t you share your prediction for both sports in the comments? 

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Sudeep Sinha

4,781 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the storylines around the sport's biggest events and names. He previously spent over two years writing in the Boxing department, where his fight-night coverage was featured on Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, including his reporting on Ryan Garcia's career arc. On the golf beat, Sudeep covers tour news, player form, and the season-long storylines that shape the men's and women's game, from majors to the ongoing shifts in how professional golf is structured. That same appetite for detail that made his boxing coverage stand out now shows up in how he breaks down a swing change or a schedule shakeup for hardcore and casual fans alike. Outside work, he splits his time between reading, cycling, and following combat sports.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Gokul Pillai

ADVERTISEMENT