Jake Paul used his speech after the fight to tell fans to donate to his former opponent Ben Askren after his big win on Saturday evening.
The YouTuber boxer defeated former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez JR in its toughest test so far after surviving a late attack by the 61-Fight veteran. And after a usual heel promo to set up the Californian crowd, he quickly turned to a more serious subject.
After fighting in 2021, the relationship between Paul and Askren has never really improved. But when the health problems of the former MMA champion became public knowledge earlier this month, he was quickly his support.
Jake Paul uses speech after the fight to increase consciousness for Ben Askren Fundraiser
Jake Paul had to overcome a late flurry of Julio Cesar Chavez JR to make a unanimous decision gain in what was the most difficult test of his 13-Fight career on paper. Fans in the Arena were fierce pro-Chavez given the Mexican population in Anaheim and fascinated his performance loudly.
But once he had led them by referring to the fight as 'easy work', Paul made sure that he sent a moving message to the hundreds of thousands of viewers looked on Pay-per-View to support Ben Askren. There have been positive updates about the improving state of Askren.
However, it was recently confirmed that his insurance would not cover the lung transplant that he needs to fully recover. On June 25, via a video on social media, FlowRestling's Mark Bader offered the disturbing update about his friend.
Bader said that, despite the urgent medical care he needs, the insurance of the former hunter would not cover the lung transplantation that he needs, which states 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 promised to make his own donation in his speech after the fight and told Ariel Helwani that both he and brother Logan Paul would place their money where their mouth is.
Jake Paul has already paid a tribute to Ben Askren
The interview after the fight followed a passionate speech by Paul during his press conference at the start of the Vechtweek. His most valuable promotions co-founder and former UFC COO Nakisa Bidarian noted that he would have liked to have been in contact with Askren's family, but chose to prevent them from being unsavory.
“My prayers go to him,” Paul told the media including Bloody Elbow during the open training on Wednesday. “I feel sorry for his family, I can't imagine what they are going through.
I only hope he can recover because there is so much more in life besides fighting and careers. I wish him the best and I am here if they need support. “