BOXING
Why did Tyron Woodley get an "I love Jake Paul" tattoo?
MMA fighter Tyron Woodley has a tattoo on his finger saying “I love Jake Paul”. Why this (semi) permanent declaration of love for the YouTuber?
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will step into the boxing ring for a rematch with YouTube star Jake Paul on Saturday, and on this second cruiserweight fight, he will be bearing a declaration of love for his opponent on his finger.
Price of the side wager
Woodley has a tattoo saying “I love Jake Paul” on the middle finger of his left hand, which he got as a result of a bet made by the two boxers before their first fight. The wager stipulated that the loser would get the winner’s name tattooed on their body where it could be seen by the public.
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The 24-year-old won their August bout by split decision, so Woodley had to get the tattoo to make good on his word. The Missouri native however insisted on a rematch after the fight was over, saying he believed he had won. Probably thinking that his opponent might back out of getting the tattoo, Paul said they could have a rematch if Woodley got himself inked.
A match for a tattoo
It took him a month to do it, but the 39-year-old finally showed off his tattoo on social media and called for their rematch.
But Paul had moved on by then and was working on setting up a fight with British boxer and reality TV star Tommy Fury. However, Fury backed out of the bout at the last minute, citing health concerns.
Paul then asked Woodley to step in as Fury’s replacement and the strike specialist gladly obliged. With the rematch about to take place, it seems the terms of getting the tattoo are finally being fulfilled.
Strategic placement
Woodley tried to have the tattoo in a place that would cause him the least humiliation. First of all he put it on his middle finger, meaning that the best way to actually see it is for him to flip the bird. Also, because it’s in an area where the tattoo could easily be worn down and rubbed off due to the many ways the hand is used, the love phrase has all but faded.
The extra condition for Saturday’s fight is not as convoluted- Paul has put a clause in the contract saying that he will give Woodley an extra $500,000 if the mixed martial artist can knock him out.