Ryan Garcia and Jake Paul have spent much of the past year feeding talk of a future fight.
‘King Ryan’ targeted the YouTuber-turned-boxer after his Mike Tyson bout, saying he wanted to end his boxing career and would accept a major size disadvantage.
The tone sharpened again this month when Garcia told Jimmy Fallon he would break Paul’s “new jaw” after the Anthony Joshua knockout. Then came a sudden change last Thursday night.
Ryan Garcia gives Jake Paul shock praise on social media
Garcia surprised fans on X last night by giving Paul credit for what he has built since entering boxing with limited experience.
He wrote: “In hindsight, as I was just in thought. Jake Paul really came in the game and in record time with limited experience, headlined some of the biggest cards ever, created a promotion company that’s doing well, has made record levels of money in boxing.
“Gotta tip the hat off. Good s—. And everyone can talk s—. That is not easy.”
It was a striking shift because Garcia had spent months positioning the 29-year-old as a target. Instead, he now acknowledged the scale of Paul’s business and promotional success.
Paul’s own future remains uncertain. He had pursued a Canelo Alvarez fight, but Canelo is now scheduled to face Christian Mbilli in September.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer has also shown openness to an MMA rematch with Mike Perry. For now, Garcia’s praise adds another strange twist to a rivalry that refuses to settle.
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