First, Jake Paul took Floyd Mayweather's hat and tried to run away with it. Now, one year later, he's after the American athlete's legacy, too.
Mayweather is making a financial killing in retirement as he's become a regular on the exhibition boxing circuit, reportedly earning $20 million for finishing the MMA star Miru Asakura in two rounds Saturday at a Rizin 38 show in Saitama.
He returns to the ring in November for another exhibition against YouTube creator Deji — a sub-novice fighter who is winless when it comes to boxing — in an event scheduled to take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
For Paul, it's about time Mayweather take on a legitimate challenger, and so he's hoping to lure the 45-year-old into what he called "a real fight" during a challenge he posted on Twitter.
Mayweather has dealt with a Paul brother before and likely would know what he's in for having decided to, over the weekend, engage Jake in a verbal back-and-forth.
In May, last year, Mayweather boxed Jake's brother, Logan, over eight rounds.
Once Jake Paul fights an 'actual fighter,' it's 'gonna be bad,' Mayweather says
The Mayweather-Paul promotion was a wild, chaotic affair, as Jake snatched Mayweather's hat and tried to run away. However, he ended up running into the former boxing champ's security detail.
Mayweather was livid and paced up and down the hallways, screaming: "I'll kill that motherfucker."
Speaking more recently, Mayweather told TMZ Sports of Paul: "As of right now, for what he's doing, it's good."
He added: "But once he fights a real, actual fighter, it's gonna be bad."
Mayweather said he likes Paul's ability to sell a fight while "making good money." Paul is "entertaining," Mayweather said. "I like it."
He finished by saying: "As long as he continues to fight MMA guys and YouTubers, he's gonna continue to look good and shine. But once he fight a real fighter, a real fighter that can really fight, it's not gonna be that good."
It did not take long for Paul to respond.
Jake Paul: 'Floyd Mayweather is ruining his legacy'
On September 25, he posted a 90-second clip to his social media followers, in which he said: "Floyd Mayweather is ruining his legacy" by fighting what he called "no-name guys."
It is a waste of his fans' money, and their time, according to Paul.
"Floyd, I will fight you, and you know that's one of the biggest fights to make in boxing," said Paul, before claiming the bout could make them $100 million each.
—Jake Paul (@jakepaul) September 25, 2022
Paul has his own fight to prepare for as he battles the MMA legend, Anderson Silva, in a Showtime pay-per-view event at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on October 29.
Perhaps their calendars will align to fight one another in 2023.