Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr. didn’t waste any time expressing their dislike for each other during a heated and at times frenzied press conference on Tuesday, vowing to knock the other out ahead of their cruiserweight clash scheduled for eight rounds on Saturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Madison Square Garden in New York City. (photos by Amanda Westcott)
For the first time in his colorful and storied career, Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) will take on a full-fledged boxer in Rahman Jr., who is 12-1 with six knockouts, had around 100 amateur fights and has been trained by such greats as Emanuel Steward, Calvin Ford and now Yoel Judah.
Just four months after her epic match with Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden, Brooklyn’s seven-division world champion Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano will return to the same venue and to her natural weight to defend her Featherweight World Titles against the hard-hitting Argentine Brenda “La Pumita” Carabajal co-headlining the event on August 6.
Serrano was on hand on Tuesday and said she was looking forward to fighting at 126 pounds after she fought Taylor in April at 135. Rounding out the SHOWTIME PPV undercard are separate bouts involving two of the sport’s most exciting prospects — unbeaten knockout artist Brandun Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) and quick-fisted Ashton Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs).