What happened between Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul? Hat incident, fake confrontation, and more
The Jake Paul-Floyd Mayweather rivalry is one of the most unexpected in boxing's recent history. Both men, however, are more similar than they may be willing to admit. Paul, like Mayweather, is a self-styled provocateur as a promoter, whose trash talk is designed to infuriate potential foes.
This generates hype and interest for possible matchups but can occasionally lead to serious confrontations. Such was the case between Paul and Mayweather, who had a viral clash outside the ring in 2021. It culminated in Paul stealing 'Money's' hat, much to the latter's chagrin.
However, that isn't where the pair's supposed feud ended. So, what is the history between the pair?
What happened between Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul?
In 2021, Floyd Mayweather was scheduled to face Logan Paul in an exhibition boxing match, which ended with no score due to the rule set. However, before the bout, Jake Paul, an influencer boxing star in his own right, got into a face-to-face confrontation with Mayweather.
Check out the Floyd Mayweather hat incident:
The two engaged in a verbal spar, surrounded by countless filming spectators. 'The Problem Child' snatched Mayweather's hat, enraging the 50-0 boxer, who immediately tried to retrieve it. This sparked a melee, with security doing their best to separate them.
The confrontation intensified after the elder Paul brother joined the fray in defense of Jake. Meanwhile, Mayweather furiously threatened to kill his opponent's younger brother.
Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul had a second confrontation years later, with a twist
After losing for the first, and thus far only, time to Tommy Fury in 2023, Jake Paul was spotted leaving a Miami Heat game featuring the aforementioned team and the Cleveland Cavaliers. At some point, 'The Problem Child' was intercepted by Floyd Mayweather and his entourage.
Check out the second confrontation between Jake Paul and Floyd Mayweather:
As Mayweather, flanked by his bodyguards, began eyeing him, taunts flew and the situation intensified. Not long afterward, Paul, who was outnumbered, fled. However, after backlash for his supposed cowardice, Paul revealed in an interview that the entire confrontation was staged.
He said:
"We were like, 'Let's set this up and make it go viral,' and viral it did. It went on every single news page and outlet. We got exactly what we wanted out of it."
Check out Paul's interview about the staged confrontation (0:35):
He claimed that he and Mayweather conspired to fool the public and create a viral moment, with 'The Problem Child' even sharing a picture of the two of them from a dinner where they first plotted the incident.