Jake Paul offered world title shot but couldn't accept it for good reason

Jake Paul has been open about hoping his slated contest with Mike Tyson will set him on the path to becoming a world champion - but he once turned down the chance to fight for a title. The internet celebrity was offered the opportunity for a shot at the IBF cruiserweight championship after a call-out from Mairis Briedis.

The former Disney child star is set for the most significant bout of his professional career so far against 'Iron Mike' this summer. With the latter having not fought in this capacity for nearly two decades, the level of public intrigue surrounding the contest has demonstrated the enduring star power of the 57-year-old boxing icon and his upcoming adversary.

The latter has his sights set on global domination if he can defeat 'Kid Dynamite' but his chance to realise his dream already was put to him back in 2021. That came as promoter Kalle Sauerland posted a video of his client Briedis mocking Paul when the YouTube sensation was just three fights into a professional career.

Following three successive wins for 'Problem Child' against AnEsonGib, Nate Robinson and Ben Askren, the Wasserman boxing boss posted a clip on social media with a caption which included an offer for a title bout. It read: "Hey Jake Paul - happy to arrange you taking a shot at Mairis Briedis' belts, only condition if you lose you have to leave boxing... Deal?"

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Ultimately, it appears that Paul was reluctant to take up the proposal, not least due to the fact that the wager would have curtailed his combat sports career if he would have lost. Previously, he openly admitted: "I want to become a world champion. I'm going to become a world champion and these fights are all just stepping stones to get there. I'm slowly improving.

"I've sparred against world champions and done phenomenal against them, so who knows what can happen in two to three years from now when I go into my athletic prime? I'm starting to really, really get this sport and all aspects of it. It's really actually scary what could possibly happen.

"I think not only will I become a world champion, I think I will be a dominant world champion and knock someone out for the belt," he said, before adding: "I'm hyper-competitive and I want to be the best at whatever it is that I do. So I feel like my whole entire life has led me up to this moment and to come in with a different sort of narrative, through YouTube and Disney Channel and to change the sport of boxing."

Paul maintained his stance on chasing world domination as his upcoming glamour bout with Tyson was announced, saying: "My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime."

The significance of the fanfare surrounding the contest at AT&T Stadium in July is not lost on the 27-year-old as he spoke with pride ahead of the spectacle. He told TMZ Sports: "It's crazy to think about but as many people as can fit in the stadium, I think it's 90,000 or 93,000. I think it's going to be packed to the brim and the global viewership could be in the hundreds of millions. It's wild and it doesn't make any sense but the fact Netflix are part of this is the perfect piece of the puzzle.

"It makes it the perfect trifecta of Netflix's audience, my audience and Mike Tyson's audience. And to the kids at home, [it says] don't listen to the critics. Do you and don't be afraid to knock down the doors of opportunity because you truly never know where it's going to lead you."