Jake Paul is once again stirring up controversy, this time with a bizarre workout video that raised eyebrows about his appearance. In the recent Instagram post, the YouTuber-turned-pro boxer, who’s gearing up for his highly anticipated fight against boxing legend Mike Tyson on November 15, can be seen lifting weights shirtless.
In the video, Paul claims to set a new personal record, bench-pressing 500 pounds. However, fans were quick to focus on something unusual about his physique rather than his lifting prowess.
The video shows Paul with a noticeably protruding stomach, which seemed out of character for the usually fit and trim boxer. Even more perplexing, some of his tattoos, which are usually visible on his torso, appeared to be missing. This led many to speculate that Paul might be wearing a fake belly as part of one of his signature trolling pranks.
“New PR, 500 pounds,” Paul boasted in the video, before confidently declaring, “I am the strongest heavyweight in existence.” He doubled down in the caption of the post, claiming to be the “strongest boxer in existence.”
Despite the boastful claims, the attention from fans quickly turned to his unusual physique. “When you due bro?” joked Paul’s brother, Logan Paul, a fellow social media star who has dabbled in boxing and currently wrestles for WWE. Another commenter asked, “What happened to ur belly bro?” while one fan quipped, “[Why] his stomach so out like that?”
Many fans speculated that the video was likely part of a skit, suggesting that Paul might have been lifting fake weights as part of an elaborate joke. The fact that his tattoos appeared to be missing from his stomach and side further fueled suspicions that Paul was trolling his audience with a staged performance.
Just last month, Paul had posted another video where he looked noticeably slimmer while shirtless, riding a water surfboard. In that video, his usual array of tattoos was fully visible, adding more weight to the theory that his recent workout post was more about comedy than real weightlifting.
The video comes as Paul continues training for his upcoming rescheduled fight against Mike Tyson. Originally set for July 20, the fight was pushed back to November after the 58-year-old Tyson suffered from a health issue related to ulcers, which delayed his ability to compete. Despite the delay, anticipation for the bout remains high, with Paul continuing to make headlines in the lead-up to the fight.
Paul and Tyson have already crossed paths several times during the buildup to their showdown. The two fighters faced off in September at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where they appeared on the field before the Dallas Cowboys suffered a lopsided defeat against the New Orleans Saints, 44-19. Prior to that, Paul and Tyson met at a press conference held at the Javits Center in New York City as part of Fanatics Fest NYC in August, where they hyped up their upcoming bout.
Known for his antics and constant trolling online, it seems likely that Paul’s unusual appearance in the workout video is just another one of his attention-grabbing stunts. However, fans will have to wait and see if his physical condition becomes a talking point once he steps into the ring with Tyson in what is sure to be one of the most talked-about fights of the year.
Regardless of whether the video was part of a joke or not, Paul’s ability to remain in the spotlight is undeniable. With the fight date looming, all eyes are on the 26-year-old as he prepares for one of the biggest challenges of his boxing career against the iconic Tyson.
