Exclusive: âNo-knockoutâ clause didnât exist in prior Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley contract
Those embracing the conspiracy theories around the legitimacy of Jake Paulâs boxing matches were sent scurrying Monday.
First, professional boxer Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, withdrew from his scheduled Dec. 18 Showtime pay-per-view bout in Tampa, Florida, blaming a chest infection and rib injury.
âIâm very suspicious. I donât really trust the Furys at all,â Paul told USA Today Sports+ on Monday. âTheyâre a shady family and I think the pressure got to Tommy. He cracked under pressure. He didnât want to fight me. He found any way possible to get out.â
Then, Paul selected former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley â who Paul beat by split-decision in August â to replace Fury and ordered a $500,000 knockout bonus added to the contract to refute claims that Paul insists opponents adhere to a "no-knockout" clause.
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USA Today Sports+ reviewed a copy of the 20-page bout agreement Woodley signed for his first fight against Paul, which detailed only minimal restrictions. Those included the avoidance of Grant boxing gloves and standard language, such as spelling out Woodleyâs role as the âB-side fighter," to be introduced first at the weigh-in and bout.
âAll other aspects of the Bout shall be governed by, and in conformity with all applicable (Ohio) laws (including, without limitation, rules and regulations of the applicable Governing Authorities) so as to ensure the professional and official nature of the Bout,â the contract read.
Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis first floated the no-knockout allegation against Paul.
Danis is Conor McGregor's stablemate best known for uttering inflaming words ringside that triggered McGregor's opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov to lunge after him, into the T-Mobile Arena stands, after submitting to McGregor in their October 2018 fight in Las Vegas.
âTyron Woodley, from what I heard, had it in the contract that he was not allowed to knock out Jake Paul,â Danis said earlier this year on an episode of The MMA Hour.
Woodley rocked Paul back to the ropes in August on a fourth-round power punch and followed with another blow, but Paul remained standing and as he strode to his left with less than one minute left in the round, Woodley became more measured and couldnât finish the fight.
âI swear on anything,â Danis said. âI swear thatâs why when Jake Paul was against the ropes, Tyron Woodley didnât hit him.â
Three-division womenâs boxing champion Claressa Shields joined the social media chorus, tweeting that Paul is a âcon artist."
âJake Paul, answer the one question: Do you or do you not have a âno knockout clauseâ in your boxing contracts? You are the biggest con artist boxing has ever had. Exposed, you are a con artist.â
Itâs unknown whether Shieldsâ comments were directed at Paul for his past chippy behavior with her, or at Showtime, which previously stopped broadcasting Shieldsâ bouts.
âTheyâre just rumors. People have made up a rumor that my fights are rigged, that thereâs a âno-knockoutâ clause. Itâs all B.S.,â Paul said. âItâs illegal to rig a fight. Itâs illegal to stage a professionally sanctioned bout (with a âno-knockoutâ clause). I would be in jail. It just goes to show how stupid people are, that theyâd believe any headline theyâd read. Itâs sad.
âWhen youâre at the top, people are going to try to discredit you, no matter what youâre doing â boxing, football, being the president. Iâm squashing the rumors right now. Iâm giving Tyrod Woodley an extra $500,000 if he can knock me out.â
Asked why the no-knockout clause rumors started, Paul said, âFor this exact reason: So people will talk about them. Thatâs what drives them and all media today: clicks, money, attention.
âIf someone can make something up that they can talk about for a couple months, itâs actually a very smart move. Itâs just unfortunate thereâs no validity to these things, and people can just run with it. Itâs all just rumors.â
Paulâs promoter, Nakisa Bidarian, who has worked with the fighter since his pro boxing debut, negotiating every fight contract since then, takes exception with the spreading falsehood.
âIt goes back to the integrity of the sport,â Bidarian said. âWe have never once thought about, talked about, discussed having anything but a 100% legit bout. Thatâs been very key for Jake Paul as we try to transition him from a global social media star to a boxing pay-per-view powerhouse.
âThe ignorance of these reports giving this any credence (is nonsensical given that) it's 100% illegal to fix or impact the outcome of a professional fight that has betting handle on it.â
Bidarian, the former UFC chief financial officer, said UFC President Dana White also gave the narrative legs while being dismissive of Paulâs first-round knockout of former UFC fighter Ben Askren in April.
âDana ... intimated, âWas that a real fight?â And from there, people questioned if Ben was taking the fight serious,â Bidarian said. âAnd then in the Tyron Woodley event, Tyron (nearly) knocked down Jake and didnât go for the finish, as some people expected. But that has to do with Tyron.
âI wonât call it jealousy, but thereâs a (reluctance) to give Jake the credit he deserves from the performances heâs been able to put on as a 24-year-old, 4-0 boxer.â
Danis and Shields did not immediately return messages left for them through their handlers, but Shieldsâ manager, Mark Taffet, texted USA Today Sports+, âIâm not interested in furthering the discussion.â
Bidarian said he doesnât expect to pursue legal action.
âA lot of these folks use Jake to create engagement around their own platform and profiles,â Bidarian said. âThe reality is we know the truth and (the public) has the truth.â
Attaching the $500,000 knockout/technical knockout bonus to Woodleyâs rematch bout agreement was aimed to once and for all dispel the premise that Paul is manipulating his way to victory.
âWe wanted to not only debunk this ridiculous accusation, but to incentivize Tyron to knock out Jake,â Bidarian said.
Paul stewed over Tommy Furyâs withdrawal, which came after the heavyweight championâs brother missed his Nov. 6 news conference with Paul in Las Vegas.
âI am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul,â Fury said in a prepared statement. âI really do hope we can get this fight rescheduled in the new year. I want this fight to still happen more than anything.â
Paul responded by releasing a video in which he called Tommy Fury âboxingâs biggest (expletive),â then elaborated to USA Today Sports+.
âHe wasnât reliable (in missing) the first news conference. Tyson Furyâs pulled out of five fights. So maybe he was looking bad in camp, and maybe word got out that, âHey, this kid Jakeâs on fire this camp,ââ Paul said if Tommy Fury âWho knows whatâs really going on behind the scenes? But this might be better for him. I was going to knock him out and make him the laughingstock of the internet, so I think he mightâve realized that and pulled out of the fight.â