Stars Who Can't Stand Jake Paul

Where would the world be without Jake Paul? Well, probably exactly where it's at right now. Still, it has to be said, "The Problem Child" has mastered the art of making headlines. It doesn't matter if you're a millennial who feels the Vine days were just yesterday or a Gen Xer who professes their hate for TikTok daily, one way or another, you probably know who Paul is. You also probably know he is not the most well-liked individual out there. 

Over the years, the YouTube star has cemented his celebrity status through his mastery of social media and by entering the world of professional boxing. In the sport, his record currently sits at 9-1, with six of his victories coming by way of knockout. Paul's next outing inside the ring will be against former UFC fighter Mike Perry; he is then expected to fight boxing icon Mike Tyson, who's also made a few enemies over the years. The former heavyweight champion will be 58 when he steps between the ropes on November 15, 2024, having last fought in 2020 in an exhibition against hall of famer Roy Jones Jr. Safe to say, fans and critics aren't too thrilled about the idea of the 27-year-old Paul taking on a legend nearing 60 years old.

However, folks soured on "The Problem Child" long before he signed the contract to fight a retired Tyson. No, the disdain for the social media influencer runs far and wide, with several big names making it known that they can't stand Jake Paul.

Despite being away from the fight game for nearly three years now, Conor McGregor remains the face of the UFC and the sport of MMA as a whole. Naturally, this means Jake Paul wants some of that "Notorious" spotlight. Ever since he began making waves in boxing, "The Problem Child" has made it a habit of calling out the former two-time UFC champion. From supposedly sending McGregor's team $50 million fight offers to taking shots at the Irishman's drunken headlines and inactivity from fighting, Paul rarely ignores an opportunity to call out the MMA superstar.

To McGregor's credit, he doesn't often show interest in Paul's squalling, routinely shrugging off the latter's trash talk attempts. However, if there's one thing the former UFC champion loves more than promoting his Proper No. Twelve whiskey, it's tweeting and deleting. McGregor beefs with everyone and is never shy about hurling insults over on X (formerly Twitter). This was especially true in August 2023, when Paul clashed with MMA star Nate Diaz in the boxing ring. "The Notorious" clearly didn't appreciate the fight or matchup, going off on the whole ordeal on social media, criticizing it, along with Paul's hairline, in a series of tweets.

In April 2024, when asked about the matchup between Paul and Mike Tyson during a SiriusXM interview, McGregor was a little more diplomatic, but still showed no love for "The Problem Child" and the influencer boxing trend he helped propel. "For me, it does set a bad precedent in the industry ... I would say this to the young athletes coming up, men and women. Don't aspire to be one of these YouTube fighters," McGregor explained (via SPORTbible), before urging future fighters to chase Olympic gold and legitimate championships, not social media clout.

That's right, even Seth Rogen has rolled his eyes at Jake Paul. In 2017, the YouTuber was making headlines after being fired from the Disney series "Bizaardvark," an incident that revealed how Paul and his friends wreaked havoc across their swank Beverly Grove neighborhood in Los Angeles. After his well-publicized departure, Paul expressed how he wished to shift his focus to his social media brand and more mature acting gigs. Safe to say, certain Hollywood stars had a field day with that latter sentiment.

Rogen was quick to respond to Paul's Disney exit. "I personally pledge to not contribute to him getting those adult acting roles," the "Pineapple Express" actor tweeted in July 2017. The following month, Rogen seemed to double down by claiming the YouTuber was big among alt-right viewers. Shortly after, Rogen had to let it sarcastically be known how much he adored Paul's musical skills. "Jake Paul apology raps are my new favorite genre of music," he tweeted. 

While Rogen hasn't sent any more potshots Paul's way in recent years, it probably isn't likely the "Neighbors" actor has developed much love for the YouTube star.

If there's anything Jake Paul should receive praise for, it's the attention he's helped bring to women's boxing. Throughout his boxing career, "The Problem Child" has routinely made sure Puerto Rican champion Amanda Serrano fought on the undercard in some of his most high-profile bouts. Paul, representing Serrano, also co-promoted her historic showdown against Olympic gold medalist and Irish star Katie Taylor; the fight was the first time a women's boxing match served as the main event at Madison Square Garden.

Paul's actions in the realm of women's boxing may have earned him some admirers, but two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-weight world champion Claressa Shields is not one of them. The undefeated boxer, who's also competed in MMA, has never shied away from revealing her true feelings for "The Problem Child," having publicly claimed she'd never compete on the undercard of a Paul-led event, and that she would emerge victorious if she and Paul ever laced up the gloves against one another.

In 2020, shortly after Paul knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson, Shields bluntly bellowed to TMZ that she could defeat Paul easily. "I, Claressa Shields, will whoop Jake Paul's ass! He can come in the ring weighing 180 pounds and I will come weighing 168 and I will beat the s*** out of him!" Three years later, the former Olympian repeated the same sentiment to the outlet after Paul defeated Nate Diaz. "I would really fight Jake Paul in a fight, honestly. And I would win. He knows that."

Seth Rogen is not the only actor who's offered their negative take on Jake Paul. In late 2017, during an exclusive interview with J-14, the Nickelodeon star was directly asked how his newly formed marketing company and his overall business goals differed from Paul's. While giving Paul and his team props for the way they grew their brand, Norman was more critical of Paul himself. "I think that Jake Paul, the leader of that, is kind of run by his ego. Everything revolves around him," the "Henry Danger" actor said, before elaborating how he had no intention of being like Paul.

In early 2018, during an interview with The Daily Beast, Norman doubled down on separating himself from Paul by pointing out the latter's Beverly Grove havoc. "I don't do pranks. I don't smash Ferraris. I don't light things on fire. I don't live in a house with a bunch of other kids," Norman said, before explaining that he believed Paul and his team were simply entertainers, not actual entrepreneurs.

In May 2022, former One Direction member Liam Payne sat down with Jake Paul's brother, Logan Paul, on the latter's "Impaulsive" podcast. Controversy quickly ensued as the English singer talked about anything and everything, from dishing on One Direction's heyday and how it all started, to being a parent to his complicated relationship with his former bandmates to ... possibly boxing Justin Bieber, the Paul brothers, and KSI?

The interview was wild and it made quite a few headlines. It also earned the attention of another One Direction alum, Louis Tomlinson. The "Back to You" singer wasn't happy with the podcast and made his feelings known on the "Zach Sang Show," tearing into how Logan Paul handled the podcast and accusing him of setting the talking points up to solely benefit himself. "He knew exactly what he was doing ... the buttons he was pressing ... It just felt disrespectful. ... They got so much out of it. As if you ain't got enough already," Tomlinson said. However, it wasn't just Logan he targeted; the singer bluntly let the whole world know what he thought of both Paul brothers. "I f****** hate them Paul brothers."

Ever since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017 for what would be his final professional bout, Floyd Mayweather has kept busy by consistently entering the ring for a series of exhibition fights, the most high-profile of which was against Logan Paul in June 2021. The bout's promotional phase was one hell of a rollercoaster, with things reaching a frenzy when the five-division world champion came face-to-face with his opponent's younger brother. During the heated confrontation, Jake Paul made the mistake of grabbing Mayweather's hat and running off. A brawl ensued, which saw Mayweather punching Jake, giving the latter a black eye.

Years later, it seems Mayweather still has nothing but contempt for "The Problem Child." The former pound-for-pound boxing kingpin has blasted Jake for routinely fighting older opponents, and in March 2023, Mayweather, joined by his bodyguards, confronted Jake outside the Kaseya Center after a Miami Heat game, a situation that ended with the latter making a run for it.

It's certainly possible both men are playing the long game in generating hype for a future exhibition clash. Or maybe Mayweather just really hates when people touch his hat. Either way, he'd probably enjoy the chance to punch Jake Paul again — this time for millions of dollars. (To learn more about the legendary boxer, read the untold truth of Floyd Mayweather.)

In August 2018, British YouTuber KSI helped propel influencer boxing into the mainstream spotlight when he and his younger brother Deji stepped into the ring against the Paul brothers in a pair of amateur boxing contests. While KSI fought to a draw with Logan Paul, Jake Paul defeated Deji via TKO in the fifth round. The elder siblings would fight once more in 2019, this time in a professional bout, with the British YouTuber nabbing a split decision victory.

While the next few years would see KSI and Logan form a friendship and launch their own sports drink together, the former has shown no signs of being friendly with "The Problem Child." Indeed, the younger Paul brother seems to want to do nothing more than punch KSI in the face — and the feeling's mutual. It isn't exactly uncommon for the two to be blasting each other on social media, with talk of a potential clash always floating about. In 2024, after Paul-Tyson was announced, things seemed to have reached a fever pitch. KSI wasted no time in roasting the matchup, tweeting out a fake poster advertising a fight between him and George Foreman (who's 75 years old).

Jake and KSI each claim the other is ducking him. With "The Problem Child" gearing up for a November showdown with "Iron" Mike, the British YouTuber has urged Jake to challenge him instead. "I've already got a fight lined up in August. Instead of you fighting an OAP at the end of the year (no one wants to see this), fight me in December instead," KSI tweeted in early June.

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who was responsible for one of the most terrifying knockouts in UFC history, was the second MMA veteran Jake Paul challenged in his professional boxing career. After "The Problem Child" knocked out Ben Askren (a former UFC fighter with an Olympic wrestling background), "T-Wood" stepped up to avenge his friend and teammate. The two clashed in August 2021. While Woodley was the first opponent to drag Paul past the second round and go the distance, he still fell short, losing a split decision. Per a previous bet made before the bout, this meant the former UFC star was forced to get an "I love Jake Paul" tattoo.

A few months later, when a showdown with Tommy Fury fell apart, Paul and Woodley fought once more, with the latter stepping into the ring with less than two weeks to prepare; this time, "The Problem Child" scored an emphatic sixth round knockout that saw his opponent fall face first to the canvas.

Woodley is a proud competitor and definitely wants that win back, clamoring for an MMA fight should Paul ever make the leap into the sport. During an appearance on MMA legend Demetrious Johnson's "MightyCast" podcast, "T-Wood" made his case for why he deserved the chance to put his hands on Paul again. "I feel like I won the first fight," Woodley said. "I was definitely winning the second fight and at the same time I dropped my hand he threw a million dollar punch. If you rewind the film, he never won a round before then ... Now come over to my world. Let's see what it is. I can slam your ass."

Imagine being Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the most popular boxer competing today, the undisputed king of your weight class (though that may change soon), and a four-division champion. You've defeated the likes of Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, Danny Jacobs, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant, and a host of other great names. You're a pound-for-pound great ... and you're getting asked about Jake freaking Paul.

Alvarez may not hate "The Problem Child" — heck, the former even acknowledges how Paul helps bring new eyeballs to the sweet science. Still, there's no way boxing's pay-per-view king doesn't get annoyed and baffled when Paul is brought up to him, which is way too frequently. While speaking to the media in May 2022 before his bout with Dmitry Bivol, Canelo hilariously questioned why reporters were always asking him about Paul. A year before, right after destroying Turkish title contender Avni Yildirim in three rounds, Canelo became visibly frustrated as two Jake Paul fans distracted him during his post-fight interview and quickly kicked them out of the ring, cursing them out in the process.

When asked about the Tyson-Paul fight during interviews, Canelo sounds bored at best and has routinely expressed disinterest in the match. However, if "The Problem Child" continues with his persistent callouts of the super middleweight champion, he may be rewarded with an eventual showdown once Alvarez's time at the top of the mountain comes to a close; the Mexican superstar has given half-hearted maybes when asked if a bout with Paul could happen in the future.

If there's one guy Jake Paul loves going after more than Canelo Alvarez and Conor McGregor, it's UFC president Dana White. "The Problem Child" consistently holds the latter's feet to the fire when it comes to UFC fighter pay, an especially sore spot for White and arguably one of the company's greatest controversies (look no further than the current antitrust lawsuit levied against it). In early 2022, Paul went so far as to claim that he'd retire from boxing and step into the octagon to fight Jorge Masvidal — the man behind the fastest knockout in UFC history — if White agreed to substantially increase fighter pay, implement a healthcare initiative for fighters, and allow them a higher revenue share.

As you can imagine, this didn't make "The Problem Child" all that popular with the UFC president. Besides heated debate regarding UFC fighter pay, the two's back-and-forth has also involved heaps of drug allegations being thrown around, with White opining that Paul is on steroids, and "The Problem Child" claiming the UFC president frequently uses cocaine.

After the Tyson-Paul clash was announced, White clawed into Paul and the showdown. "When this fight happens, Tyson will be 58 f******g years old," White said on Andrew Schulz's "Flagrant" podcast. "A f*****g almost 60-year-old man shouldn't be fighting a 27-year-old f*****g guy. Under any circumstances. Even if it's Mike Tyson. So, it's f*****g ridiculous."

Tommy Fury and Jake Paul may not be journeying to become boxing legends, but the two succeeded in generating tons of hype for their February 2023 clash in Saudi Arabia. While "The Problem Child" managed to score a knockdown in the final round, it was Fury who came out with a split decision victory. The "Love Island" star and half-brother to former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury dominated the majority of the fight with a superior jab and better ... well, everything. The match felt like validation for most of Paul's detractors, who had long criticized the YouTube star's crummy matchmaking against non-boxers and retired MMA fighters. For Fury, however, it only offered a short reprieve from the animosity between him and "The Problem Child."

For nearly three years, Paul and the British boxer chased each other for a fight. It seemed like every time a bout between the two got close, a cancellation would occur. All the while, both men bashed each other endlessly, with Fury continuously roasting Paul's boxing ability. Now, after having defeated KSI, Fury is eager to go toe-to-toe with his archrival again and end the feud for good. "I want to knock Jake Paul out. Definitely, I want to get the job done," the British star said during an interview with Boxing News before lambasting Paul's fight with Mike Tyson. "I think it's absolutely terrible. The man's 60 years of age ... I'm not interested in that fight at all. He couldn't beat me so he's going to have to fight a 60-year-old now."