One of the world’s most prominent cutman, Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran, has claimed that Jake Paul’s theft of Floyd Mayweather’s hat was a ‘masterpiece for marketing’
Duran is one of the most experienced cutmen in the sport and has worked with Paul, Tyson Fury, Michael B Jordan and Logan Paul’s erstwhile opponent KSI.
Duran was on hand for Jake Paul’s fight with former UFC challenger Ben Askren, and claimed that Paul had to manufacture interest in the Logan-Floyd fight because of its lack of sporting merit.
Speaking to Betway Insider, he said: "Jake Paul taking that hat off Floyd Mayweather I thought was a great masterpiece for marketing. Everybody is talking about it.
“He had to do what he had to do to promote himself, promote his brother and promote the fight because in all fairness, who wants to see Floyd 50-0 against Logan Paul 0-1 - what's the benefit to that?
"The Paul brothers are fun guys to work with like that - I will tell you how it's different working with them. We flew from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in a private jet, crazy. Then we get to our hotel and it's on Rodeo Drive and I walk into my room where my pillow cases have my initials embroidered on them. I felt like I was in the movie Pretty Woman!”
While celebrities have started to invade the world of boxing on a scale not yet seen before, Duran credits them with bringing hard work to the sport, showing no little talent.
"I've got to thank KSI first, he's the one that brought me in when he fought Logan,” he explained.
“I knew nothing about these guys - who's KSI, who's Jake Paul? But working with them and wrapping their hands - and like when I worked with Michael B Jordan in Creed - I saw their conversion from what they do to actually becoming semi-good boxers. And I applaud them for that."
‘Stitch’ also credited Paul’s ability to have turned his hand to a profitable career change, pointing out that he doesn’t need to fight any truly challenging opponents.
"Jake Paul is an athlete. He used to be a wrestler and wrestlers make great fighters. He is also working with BJ Flores who is a great coach. And they've been working together for three years, so he's getting better. Everybody wants to fight Jake Paul, but Jake Paul does not need to fight everybody. Jake Paul doesn't need anybody but the guys he's going to beat,” he claimed.
"Conor McGregor would beat him. Just because of the long term experience factor. The thing is, Jake Paul does not need that type of fight. Conor McGregor's buddy Dillon Danis, in a boxing match, that one I'd take. He's a wrestler, he's a grappler, he is a ground guy - that’s not to say they don't make great boxers - but It would be a very competitive fight.
"And plus the marketing would be there for both of them and that brings in Conor McGregor automatically. It's all about a marketing game and how you maximise it. Jake's not here to be a world champion by any means, he's here to milk the companies - very simple.”