Jake Paul’s attacks on Bad Bunny and the American-ness of Puerto Rican culture have drawn the ire of his company’s most popular Boricua boxer.
Amanda Serrano, an eight-division world champion and national icon in Puerto Rico, took to the social media platform X to fire back at her promoter, who called for a boycott of the Super Bowl halftime performance by Bad Bunny, echoing similar sentiments from U.S. President Donald Trump, a right wing politician who Paul openly supports, who criticized Bad Bunny for singing in Spanish, writing on social media, "Nobody understands a word this guy is saying."
“Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that,” said Paul, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. Paul did not cite examples of how Bad Bunny, an American citizen whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, displayed hatred of America.
Serrano, who resides in Carolina, Puerto Rico, voiced support for Bad Bunny’s performance and said she was in “awe” of how well Bad Bunny represented Puerto Rican culture.
“I am proud to be Puerto Rican, and I am proud to be an American citizen. Puerto Ricans are not ‘fake Americans.’ We are citizens who have contributed to this country in every field, from military service to sports, business, science, and the arts, and our identity and citizenship deserve respect,” said Serrano.
Serrano added that, while she is grateful for the opportunities she has been afforded by Paul and Most Valuable Promotions, she does not support Paul’s statements.
“I want to be clear: I do not agree with statements that question the legitimacy or identity of Puerto Rican people, and I cannot support that characterization. It is wrong,” wrote Serrano.
“I fight with the pride of Puerto Rico and represent my flag every time I step into the ring. I will always stand with my people, with respect for who we are, and with pride in where we come from.
“I will never change and will forever be a Proud Boricua.”
Jake Paul's comments found criticism even closer to home as his older brother, former boxer and current WWE wrestler Logan Paul, addressed them on social media, writing "I love my brother but I don’t agree with this. Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island."
Paul’s attacks on Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico come as a surprise to some, as Paul, a native of Cleveland, now makes his home in Dorado, Puerto Rico. A number of Most Valuable Promotions’ boxers are from Puerto Rico, including Elise Soto, Yankiel Rivera and Alexis Chaparro. The company’s most recent show took place in Puerto Rico, with several thousand fans filing in to watch Serrano outpoint Reina Tellez in the capital of San Juan.
Paul, who is not of Latino heritage, moved to Puerto Rico in 2021 and adopted the ring name “El Gallo,” which translates from Spanish to “The Rooster.”
Paul, a boxer with a 12-2 (7 KOs) record, most recently fought in December, getting knocked out in six rounds by Anthony Joshua.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, had one boxing reference in it, as unified junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas and unbeaten junior welterweight prospect Emiliano Vargas had a cameo during his opening number, “Tití Me Preguntó.” Promoter Bob Arum praised their appearance, saying it would “help raise their profiles not just within boxing, but beyond the sport as well.”
