Jake Paul’s promoter addresses fight rigging allegations
Jake Paul’s promoter and business partner Nakisa Bidarian has revealed that legal representatives are actively pursuing individuals who have accused the 28-year-old’s recent bout with Anthony Joshua as being fixed, reports BritPanorama.
Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, made the disclosure during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday evening. The accusations have emerged in the wake of Paul’s loss to Joshua, which saw him sustain a broken jaw and marked a significant setback in his boxing career.
Among those being targeted is a social media user claiming to be a lawyer, whose post alleging a pre-arranged agreement garnered around 200,000 likes. Bidarian commented, “One in particular was claiming to be a lawyer online… basically this post said there was an agreement for AJ not to knock out Jake but AJ disregarded the agreement.”
Bidarian expressed astonishment at such claims circulating online, particularly highlighting the influence of viral misinformation. He also responded to comments from veteran promoter Lou DiBella, who questioned the legitimacy of the match. DiBella stated, “Nothing legit about this… Goodnight. #PaulJoshua,” calling into question the sportsmanship of the bout.
During his conversation with Helwani, Bidarian categorically denied any impropriety in Paul’s fighting career. “There has never once in Jake Paul’s career been any talk of that sort of anything to do with the fight being anything but a real fight,” he asserted.
The promoter pointed to Joshua’s pre-fight remarks to reinforce the bout’s authenticity, noting Joshua’s expectation of a quick victory. Bidarian remarked, “They were pretty adamant it would take maximum two rounds to take out Jake Paul,” reflecting a notable shift in confidence as the fight approached.
As Paul heads back to the drawing board following this setback, Joshua remains focused on a potential showdown with Tyson Fury, amid suggestions of an agreement between the two camps. In the world of boxing, the lines between perception and reality often blur, highlighting the ongoing challenges fighters face both in and out of the ring.
