LAS VEGAS – They were supposed to be separated by plexiglass per COVID-19 protocols, but Jake Paul wasn’t having any of that when it came time to face off with Ben Asrken at the Triller press conference.
Paul got right in Askren’s face and talked trash, which he’d done almost without interruption since walking on to the closed set in Sin City. When he turned to face cameras, however, Askren kept staring and then facepalmed him and walked away.
Paul could have decked the UFC veteran right there, but settled for a shove with his opponent’s back turned.
That was the somewhat tepid ending to a press conference filled with bravado and insults as the headliners of the April 17 promoted the event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Askren hardly took the bait offered by the amped-up Paul and slipped in one-liners as his younger opponent tagged in Jorge Masvidal for some extra jabs.
YouTube star Paul competes in the third professional boxing match of his career against Askren, a career wrestler and MMA fighter who’s making his debut in the squared circle. The fight headlines the April 17 event five months after Triller’s online blockbuster featuring Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.
Check out the full press conference below:
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