Why was Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. fight canceled? MSG bout scrapped

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Jake Paul - Amanda Serrano
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What Hasim giveth, he taketh away.

Aug. 6 was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime for up-and-coming amateur Hasim Rahman Jr. He was slated to take on YouTube superstar Jake Paul under the Madison Square Garden lights.

That's not happening anymore. The fight has been canceled, Paul's promotional team, Most Valuable Promotions, announced Saturday.

The decision continues a bad run for Paul and Most Valuable Productions. Rahman initially filled in to replace Tommy Fury, the brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Tommy Fury was denied entry into the United States amid concerns over alleged connections between the Fury family and organized crime.

Rahman, Paul's former sparring partner, stepped in. Now, he and Paul won't take center stage at MSG, either.

MORE: Jake Paul and KSI re-ignite Twitter beef

Here are the details behind Paul and Most Valuable Promotions' decision to can the fight.

Why was Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. canceled?

According to Most Valuable Productions, Paul and Rahman were slated to face off at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds but Rahman did not follow that requirement.

In a video posted to Twitter, Paul was adamant that Rahman acted unprofessionally, saying that Rahman was unable to keep his promise of making weight.

Rahman weighed 216 on July 7 but vowed to make weight by Aug. 6, Most Valuable Productions claimed, In fact, Rahman said that Paul and his team added a clause in Rahman's contract that didn't allow for Rahman to gain weight prior to the fight.

According to Most Valuable Productions, Rahman lost "less than a pound" from July 7 to July 30. That prompted the New York State Athletic Commission to declare that it wouldn't authorize the fight unless it was held at 205 pounds, a move Paul and his team supported.

Paul sent his offer to Rahman on Friday. It included "strict penalties should [Rahman] fail to make weight." Rahman rebuffed the offer and indicated that he planned on fighting at 215 pounds.

MVP was miffed about Rahman's antics and promptly canceled the fight.

"The boxing community must hold Hasim Rahman Jr. liable for his lack of professionalism," MVP said in its statement.

Who is Hasim Rahman Jr.

Rahman is the son of former WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. With more than 100 amateur fights and a handful professional bouts under his belt, the younger Rahman easily would have been the most decorated opponent Paul has faced.

The two had their share of history, too. Rahman was Paul's sparring partner until the two got into a feud over Paul's antics. That seemed to set the stage for the fight.

It's important to note that Rahman had never dropped to the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. The Baltimore native had previously fought at heavyweight.

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David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News.