JAKE PAUL offered over £15million to fellow American Ryan Garcia before agreeing to fight Anthony Joshua.
That is according to himself, who turned down the big-money bout in favour of WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Ryan Garcia has claimed he said no to a huge-money offer from Jake Paul for a fightCredit: Getty
Paul will instead face Anthony Joshua in Miami, Florida next monthCredit: Getty
Speaking to Covers.com , Garcia said: because I had the Barrios fight lined up, so I showed you.
“I had $20million (£15.1m) offered. I went with Barrios for less, so that’s to show you right now, I’m not even worried about that right now.
“And that’s a stupid matchup [for me]. He’s 220 pounds, for damn’s sake.
“What are we talking about? I’m not going to let this dude think he’s that good because he’s a heavyweight and trying to fight 135-pounders.
“People are not going to think I’m good unless I knock him out.
“How am I going to knock out a 220-pound dude that somewhat knows how to box?
“Yeah, I could catch them, but they’re trying to fight with 12-ounce gloves.
“I’m trying to fight with 8-ounce. Let me have 8-ounce.
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“You could have 12-ounce. That’s fair. You got the weight, I get the four ounces in gloves.”
The 27-year-old did not rule out taking on in the future. He added: “If it makes sense.
“But as of right now, that’s kind of just in the back of my mind.
“I’ve already denied the $20million, so it’s always gonna be there, right?
“If he keeps going, it’s always gonna be there. You never know.
“But as of right now, I think that my opportunities in just serve me better.”
If the money was even greater, closer to the reported $70million (£53m) on the table for , Garcia might have changed his mind.
He said: “I definitely would consider it. 100 per cent. I’d be stupid if I didn’t.
“It’s insane that was the first offer.
“I wasn’t gonna accept that, but I cut it down really short. But who knows?
“Maybe I would still deny the $70million. Sometimes money is not everything, right?
“You start chasing money, you’ll do anything for money. That’s how I see it.
“So I feel the money for me is always gonna be there.
“I live a great life. I have nothing to complain about. I don’t need more, I don’t need less. What’s the point?
“I get more money then what, a bigger house? What does that mean? I have more cars, what does that mean?”
With AJ and Paul meeting on December 19 in Miami, Florida, Garcia’s attention turns to his own next fight.
He wrote on X earlier this month: “My next fight announcement, I got the contract right here like I promised you guys.
“I am going to fighting for the real WBC championship belt against Mario Barrios Feb. 21. Get ready”.
No location for the fight has been confirmed.
Garcia’s record stands at 24-2 after being defeated by Rolando Romero in New York earlier this year.
That followed a no contest with 11 months before. Garcia failed a drugs test after winning on points.
They were set to rematch with Haney going on to for the WBO welterweight title.
Conor Benn had been the one to call out Barrios after he beat but Garcia has gotten into the mix there as well.
He said: “I don’t think he [Benn] has a big presence in America, but I would be willing to go to the UK.
“I would definitely be willing to go to the UK to fight him. He seems like a fun matchup.
Garcia is open to fighting Conor Benn in the UKCredit: PA
Benn feigned being asleep during Devin Haney’s win over Brian Norman Jr over the weekendCredit: DAZN
“He’s gonna come crazy and throw bombs all night, and thinks he’s gonna overwhelm me, but he won’t, but I would love to fight him.
“I love fighting fighters, I don’t know why, I just love to beat them up, he just makes you want to beat his fighters up.
“It’s just the way he talks, the way he moves, I can’t wait to look at his face and say, ‘I did it again.’
“I beat Luke Campbell, Devin Haney, he was representing him, I beat him.
“I’m ready to beat up Conor now. That would bring so much joy to me, almost more than a championship title.
“I would be ecstatic just to see Eddie’s face, sad and confused.
“I don’t think he’s at the level he thinks he’s at, I’ll tell you that.
“I don’t think that Eubank had enough skills, or felt good enough.
“I just think Conor is young, and I think he’s hungry, and I think he fights that way, but I don’t think he’s that good, if that makes sense.
“His style is a brawler. But boxers will always beat brawlers.
“A good boxer will always beat a good brawler, for sure.
“I don’t think he beats any of the top-level dudes at 147, but if he believes it, we could all run it.
“If he wants a big name, I would love to come to the UK and take all your fans.
“That would be ecstatic. And guess what? The UK fans are the best.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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