HASIM RAHMAN JR claimed Jake Paul dodged a bullet and saved his boxing career after their cancelled fight.
Paul on Sunday faces Tommy Fury, who was forced to pull out in December 2021 due to injury and again last August amid US visa issues.
Jake Paul and Hasim Rahman Jr before their cancelled fightGETTY
On the second occasion, heavyweight Rahman signed as a late replacement but was forced to come down TWO STONE to 200lb.
The New York State Athletic Commission later changed the bout to 205lb, but even then the two sides disagreed.
Eventually, the fight was scrapped with Rahman, 31, going on to sign for KSI’s Misfits Boxing banner after the ordeal.
He did hold an unoffical weigh in the day before the proposed bout to prove he could make the catchweight limit – but hit the scales at 206.6lb.
Meanwhile Paul, 26, instead returned last October to beat UFC legend Anderson Silva, 47, living to fight another day in Rahman’s eyes.
He told SunSport: “He dodged a bullet, even when we were going to 205. That extra 5lb was literally all I needed.
“Had it actually been fight week, who knows? Maybe I would have actually made 205. I made 206 and weighed in like an hour early.
“Jake Paul’s team knew what they were doing, they knew not to give me any time to get ready, they wouldn’t put him in that position.
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“They all were telling him he was making a mistake by fighting me in the first place.”
After Rahman’s cancellation, Fury, 23, becomes the first opponent with a recognised boxing record Paul will face.
He has instead recorded wins over ex-MMA champions in Ben Askren, 38, Tyron Woodley, 40, and Silva.
Paul twice beat ex-UFC welterweight champ Woodley, on points in August 2021 and then by KO in their rematch as Fury withdrew injured.
The American was taken the eight rounds – even punched through the ropes and threatened to retire – which later emerged as a joke.
But Rahman insisted the damage he was set to do on Paul would have been no laughing matter.
He said: “I don’t like Jake, I don’t like him. I think he would’ve retired from boxing, he wouldn’t have been able to go back to creator boxing.
“I think I would have hurt that man so bad, he would have been like, ‘I don’t think I want to do this anymore.’
I don’t like Jake, I don’t like him. I think he would’ve retired from boxing, he wouldn’t have been able to go back to creator boxing.
Hasim Rahman Jr on Jake Paul
“He had that aura about him after he fought Tyron Woodley the first time, he didn’t seem too sure on whether he wanted to keep doing this.
“I can guarantee you he would’ve been in five-ten times more pain and had to go through five-ten times as much with me than he did with Tyron Woodley.”
Paul is set to move down to a career-lowest 185lb against Fury, having largely boxed at 190lb.
Meanwhile Rahman was 226lb for his last fight, a loss to ex-NFL star and now heavyweight fighter, who weighed over SEVEN STONE more.
The weight disparity means the pair are not likely to ever cross paths and despite the bad blood, Rahman still backed Paul to beat Fury.
He said: “I think Jake wins a decision. I’m not sold on Jake’s power.
“I don’t know much about Tommy but I’ve seen him box in spots and I definitely think Jake’s gonna win a decision.”
Jake Paul and Tommy Fury ahead of their fightGetty Read More