By: Sean Crose

In what really should not be a surprise at this point, Jake Paul has given up on facing fellow up and coming cruiserweight Tommy Fury next month at Madison Square Garden. The match was supposed to be the main event of a Showtime pay per view card. Fury, however ,was denied entrance into the United States. According to recent comments from Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, Fury – who is Tyson Fury’s younger brother – hadn’t made an appointment with the embassy in order to allow himself to come stateside. Paul had given Fury until Wednesday to make something happen. Nothing did happen, and so Paul is now taking his business elsewhere.

“Fury’s received a termination notice,” Paul posted on social media Wednesday. “MVP did everything it could to help him & team. He wasn’t interested and literally went into hiding. 2nd time in a row he has pulled out. 2nd time in a row I’m going to step up and take on a new opponent on short notice. Aug. 6. MSG.” Word is now out via SI’s Chris Mannix that Paul may now face Hasim Rahman Jr in Fury’s place. Rahman is the son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. As for Fury, he’s stated he still wants to face Paul next month…only the bout would have to be outside the US.

“I’m gutted and disappointed in regard to the issues I have faced with entry into the USA,” Fury announced in a public statement. “I am confident this fight will happen when this issue gets resolved and we come to a solution.” The undefeated fighter added the following: “I want to clarify that I will fight in a neutral country that both parties can enter. This can be any time, any place, anywhere.”

At the moment at least, Paul probably wants nothing of it. The truth is that, although he’s inexperienced, the social media star turned boxer appears eager to go against the grain and fight regularly, without regular interruptions. What’s more, the man challenges himself, not against world class opposition that he stands no chance against, but the kind of competition that doesn’t offer him a guaranteed win, either. “Shout out to Nate Robinson,” Paul tweeted, referring the former basketball star he met and defeated in the ring. “The NBA player had more courage than most of these fighters.”

Whoever Paul’s opponent ends up being, it’s obvious the fighter aims to enter the ring this August 6th in New York.

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