Legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya thinks YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul deserves more credit.
“I actually have a lot of respect for him because here you have this kid who grew up with Nickelodeon, basically,” the 11-time world champion exclusively told Page Six, referencing Paul’s acting stint on the Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” from 2016 to 2018. “I don’t think he boxed back then.”
“He’s actually putting in the work,” De La Hoya, 52, added before giving Paul, 28, a massive compliment.
“He’s actually a harder worker than most fighters out there, like, when it comes to training and when it comes to, like, being disciplined. And yeah, I have a lot of respect for him.”
Paul first rose to prominence by becoming a YouTube sensation, amassing more than 20 million followers on the video platform. He also has 28.7 million followers on Instagram and 18.5 million TikTok followers.
His content was mostly known for comedic pranks, but he then made his professional boxing debut against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib in January 2020.
Paul has since gone to fight in several successful exhibition matches, with his most recent one taking place against Mike Tyson in November 2024.
The social media star defeated Iron Mike, 58, via unanimous decision after eight rounds.
Tyson exclusively told The Post in January that he had not recovered “100 percent” since the record-breaking match but that, overall, he still felt “pretty good.”
However, some still criticize Paul, claiming he doesn’t fight boxers who are still in their prime.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said in 2021, “Jake Paul hasn’t earned the right to be in the ring with somebody as serious and as lethal and as accomplished as Canelo [Alvarez].”
Page Six asked De La Hoya if he would ever do an exhibition fight like Tyson versus Paul, and he told us, “I’ve literally been thinking about it, but I’m OK.”
“I keep myself in good shape. I love doing yoga in the morning and I love working out and all that — body feels great, but I’m 52 years old,” he added with a laugh.
De La Hoya, who now works mostly as a boxing promoter for his company Golden Boy Promotions, Inc., has his sights set more on the entertainment world next.
The one-time Grammy nominee appeared on the latest season of “The Masked Singer,” in which he took the stage as the character of Fuzzy Peas. He was eliminated Wednesday after two episodes on the show.
De La Hoya admitted to Page Six that he was nervous ahead of his performances, saying, “I swear I would rather get inside the ring with Mike Tyson, and fight Mike Tyson, and get knocked out.”
“Being on stage [on] ‘The Masked Singer,’ it was just — it was nerve-wracking.”
He recalled how prior to a big fight he would get “butterflies” in his stomach as well, but they would then go away the moment the bell rung inside the ring.
De La Hoya recognized, however, that once he heard the music go on at the start of his performances on the singing competition show, he would just start “having a good time.”
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
