The YouTuber-turned-boxer called out several names within the sport of boxing, but it was Anthony Joshua who ended up accepting the call
Ryan Garcia has explained exactly why he turned down a whopping $20million offer to fight YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
The controversial American boxer has not fought since suffering a shock defeat to Rolando Romero back in May. Paul – who has not fought since defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr back in June – was due to return to the ring earlier this month against lightweight king Gervonta Davis.
However, the showdown was cancelled after ‘Tank’ was accused of battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping by an ex-girlfriend. The ‘Problem Child’ reserved a slot in Miami in December in case anything came to fruition. Paul called out a wide range of boxing stars, including Terence Crawford, Francis Ngannou and Garcia.
But after being tempted by the lucrative offer, Garcia admits he rejected the proposal in favour of pursuing a world title fight against Mario Barrios. In an interview with Covers, he said: “I didn’t take the Jake Paul fight because I had the Barrios fight lined up, so I showed you. I had $20 million offered. I went with Barrios for less, so that’s to show you right now, And that’s a stupid matchup [for me]. He’s 220 pounds, for damn’s sake.
Watch Jake vs Joshua live on Netflix for free
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will face off for a heavyweight clash in Miami on December 19. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle, the brand’s ‘lowest ever price’ for Sky TV.
“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. You could have 12-ounce. That’s fair. You got the weight, I get the four ounces in gloves.
“If it makes sense [in the future I’ll consider a Jake Paul fight]. But as of right now, that’s kind of just in the back of my mind. I’ve already denied the $20 million, 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 boxing just serve me better.”
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Earlier this month, Garcia revealed he would be taking on Barrios next February, posting: “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.” However, no venue has been confirmed as of yet.
It has been a tough year or so for the 27-year-old. ‘King Ryan’ received a 12-month ban following his clash with long-time rival Devin Haney in April 2024. The American dropped Haney three times in a decision win, but the result was overturned to a No Contest after Garcia later returned an adverse drug-test result.
That said, the youngster is now back on the mend and is looking to eventually avenge his defeat to Romero in 2026, but has not ruled out a future showdown with Paul. “Imagine me not even trying [to beat Rolly Romero], and this dude couldn’t even knock me out. I literally just was moving around the ring, jabbing here and there. The dude had a free moment to just bomb on me and just can’t. That’s how much I already know how good I am. The fact that I’m not throwing punches and you can’t do anything,” he said.
“It’s not like you beat me in my heart. Yeah, they have every right to be happy with their victory, and I’m not trying to rob them from that victory, but he knows the deal, and I’m going to get that back. I’m hungry for that. I’m going to get that back. I’m going to beat Barrios. Hopefully unify with somebody, and then, I definitely want to get that. 100% back.
“The hand injury was there. My hand feels ten times better now. But I would go with the credit of the performance, not towards really my hand, but mainly where I was at, and how I wasn’t even there. That’s definitely more of the case on why I lost the fight, not so much my hand.”
Paul will not be losing any sleep over the Garcia fight falling through after he quickly confirmed he would be facing former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua on December 19. The pair will clash in Miami, and the bout will be contested over eight three-minute rounds. Regardless of the outcome, the result will count on their respective professional records.
When is Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul?
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will clash in Miami on December 19, just six days before Christmas. The pair will likely walk to the ring at around 11pm local time which would be 4am in the UK. Fight times are usually set to benefit the American audience and are subject to change depending on how long the undercard takes to complete. The event is set to be shown live on Netflix.
