Jake Paul used his post-fight speech to tell fans to donate to his former opponent Ben Askren following his big win on Saturday night.
The Youtuber-turned-boxer defeated former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in his toughest test to date after surviving a late onslaught from the 61-fight veteran. And after a customary heel promo to rile up the California crowd, he quickly turned to a more serious topic.
After fighting in 2021, the relationship between Paul and Askren never really improved. But when the former MMA champion’s health issues became public knowledge earlier this month, he was quick to offer his support.
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Jake Paul uses post-fight speech to raise awareness for Ben Askren fundraiser
Jake Paul had to overcome a late flurry from Julio Cesar Chavez Jr to make it to a unanimous decision win in what was on paper the toughest test of his 13-fight career. Fans in the arena were vehemently pro-Chavez given the Mexican population in Anaheim, and loudly booed his performance.
But once he had goaded them by referring to the fight as ‘easy work’, Paul made sure to send a touching message to the hundreds of thousands of viewers watching on pay-per-view to support Ben Askren. There have been positive updates about Askren’s improving condition.
However, it was recently confirmed that his insurance wouldn’t cover the lung transplant he will need in order to fully recover. On June 25, via a video on social media, FloWrestling’s Mark Bader provided the upsetting update about his friend.
Bader said that despite the urgent medical care that he requires, the former fighter’s insurance would not cover the lung transplant that he needs, stating that this comes with “astronomical costs”. To support Askren and his family a verified non-profit fund has been launched where people can donate via Help Hope Live.
And Paul vowed to make a big donation of his own in his post-fight speech, telling Ariel Helwani that both he and brother Logan Paul would be putting their money where their mouth is.
Jake Paul has already paid tribute to Ben Askren
The post-fight interview followed a passionate speech from Paul at his press conference at the beginning of fight week. His Most Valuable Promotions co-founder and former UFC COO Nakisa Bidarian noted that he had been keen to contact Askren’s family, but opted against it in order to avoid being distasteful.
“My prayers go out to him,” Paul told media including Bloody Elbow at the open workout on Wednesday. “I feel sorry for his family, I can’t imagine what they’re going through.
I just hope that he can recover because there’s so much more to life besides fighting and careers. I’m wishing him the best and I’m here if they need any support.”