Brooks Koepka up for $2,000,000 fight with LIV rival after Jake Paul gives the green light to promote the boxing match
Brooks Koepka has identified his major competitor in the golf world. Bryson DeChambeau, at least in his opinion, holds the position. However, for the not-insignificant reason of $2,000,000, the rivalry may soon expand beyond the golf universe.
The five-time major winner recently joined the "BS w/ Jake Paul" podcast. In response to a question from the show's host, Brooks Koepka identified DeChambeau as his main rival in the sport.
Since Jake Paul is a boxer, it's no surprise that he asked Brooks Koepka if he would take on DeChambeau in a boxing match. More surprising was the player's answer:
"Yeah, are you going to promote it?" said Koepka.
The event went from non-existent to a concrete proposal in a matter of minutes. According to The Mirror, the show ended with the idea of Jake Paul promoting the potential boxing match between Koepka and DeChambeau, with a $1,000,000 prize for each player/boxer (plus pay-per-view).
When asked if Bryson DeChambeau would be on board, Brooks Koepka said yes.
"Oh, he will be, don't worry. I think we could make something happen," Brooks Koepka said.
So far, DeChambeau has not publicly commented on the possible boxing match against Koepka.
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau: A Long History of Tense Relationships
Nothing comes out of nowhere; every effect has a cause. It's not common to see a boxing match brewing between golfers, but when it does happen, the names Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau quickly come to mind due to the history of tension between the two.
Currently, Koepka and DeChambeau are two of the top stars on the LIV Golf circuit, but before that, they had parallel careers on the PGA Tour. They rose to fame at virtually the same time, and their competitiveness soon became apparent.
Friction between the two became public starting in 2019 when Koepka complained to the press about DeChambeau's slow play at the Saudi International. From there, tensions began to escalate, with back-and-forth exchanges.
In 2020, things got more personal, with DeChambeau mocking Koepka's abs, which prompted a response from Koepka alluding to his superior number of major victories.
Events continued to unfold, some of which were broadcast live on television and others that went viral thanks to social networking. There were even fears that the affair would affect the Ryder Cup when both were named to the team for the 2021 edition.
At the time, both agreed to put aside their differences for the good of the team, with Koepka assuring that they would not celebrate each other's victories. Even that kind of "truce" required the direct involvement of captain Steve Stricker, who had a conversation with both players to resolve this particular detail.