Days after Terence Crawford beat Errol Spence Jr. to become the undisputed welterweight champion, First Take Host Stephen A. Smith asked the former unified champion to consider retiring. Despite Smith’s request, it does not appear that the Dallas native will be stepping away from the sport anytime soon. However, a fighter Smith spoke to recently — Jake Paul — may consider retiring if he does not have his hand raised by the referee this Saturday night.
“He may retire if he loses to Nate Diaz,” Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, told ESPN.
“His boxing career is on the line, in terms of being one of the top three or four guys in the entire sport globally. I think if he was to lose, he’d just go to being another prospect that’s coming up in the ring.”
In contrast, Bidarian does not feel that Diaz’s place in the sport is in danger.
“I don’t think his place in the sport is at stake,” he explained.
“I just think it’s about what’s next for him and how much leverage does he have in dictating what’s next versus having to accept what’s next.”
