Jake Paul and Eddie Hearn heading back to court to settle their $100m defamation lawsuit after years-long stand-off

JAKE Paul and Eddie Hearn are working to settle their $100 million lawsuit with a new hearing scheduled for next month - after the YouTuber's big fight with Mike Tyson.

British promoter Hearn and Matchroom Boxing first filed a lawsuit in a New York court against Paul in September 2022.

The legal complaint came after Paul criticized boxing judge Glenn Feldman in an interview with iFL TV, regarding the scoring of two prior matches.

They included an April 2022 bout between Katie Taylor and
Amanda Serrano in New York; and an August 2022 bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.

Feldman scored in favor of boxers Joshua and Taylor.

"Clearly [Glenn Feldman] is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing," Paul said. "It's just so blatantly obvious and they're not even trying to hide it."

Eddie Hearn is the chairman of Matchroom Sport, a company founded by his father, Barry.

Hearn slammed his comments as "outrageously false" and later filed suit, seeking $100 million in damages.

Paul attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed but was unsuccessful, and then counter-sued, with his legal team invoking New York's Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) laws.

They argued that Hearn's lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate and silence him.

COMING TO AN END?

Now, new court documents seen by The U.S. Sun show the long-running court battle could soon be over.

A settlement conference has been scheduled before Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo on December 17, 2024 at 12 pm.

The filing states, "The conference will be held virtually
via Microsoft Teams and will not be open to the public.

"The parties should exchange their initial settlement demands and responses in advance of their Ex Parte Settlement Letter submissions.

"The parties - not just the attorneys - must attend the settlement conference."

A joint letter filed with the court shows all parties are available on December 17 for the "virtual mediation conference.";

Hearn and Matchroom Boxing previously filed a letter trying to get Paul's countersuit dismissed.

A filing alleges: "New York’s anti-SLAPP law does not apply because Plaintiffs’ defamation claim has a substantial basis in fact and law."

Paul's counsel responded with a letter dated November 7, which reads, "After Matchroom Boxing complained to Jake Paul about his statements, and to appease Matchroom Boxing, Jake Paul promptly arranged for the interview to be removed from public view.

"Nonetheless, Matchroom Boxing and Hearn then commenced this action (and Feldman later intervened as a co-plaintiff) against Jake Paul alleging that they were defamed by his statements."

The letter goes on to claim, "The lawsuit was filed as an intimidation tactic to chill Jake Paul’s freedom of speech and to silence other critics of the boxing industry, which is precisely the type of misconduct that the anti-SLAPP statute is intended to deter and remedy.

"Upon information and belief, Plaintiffs coordinated various media
outlets to immediately broadcast, worldwide, that Plaintiffs had commenced this action, as a warning to journalists and anyone else who may want to expose and discuss corruption in the boxing industry."

Hearn's team is yet to reply or comment on the letter ahead of the settlement conference.

Meanwhile, Paul has a lot to prove on November 15, when he takes on boxing legend Tyson at AT&;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The fight is a huge moneymaker, with Netflix streaming it live.

Hearn himself is one of the many critics who slammed the idea of Paul going up against Tyson, calling the match "dangerous, irresponsible, and disrespectful to boxing."

In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, he said he didn't believe the match was anything more than greed, despite Paul and Tyson saying it's not just about the money.

Tyson is 58 and retired 20 years ago, while Paul is 31 years his junior.

Hearn said, "I'm not saying abandon the fight. I am just saying, not for me mate. I don’t wanna watch it."

The heavyweight boxer goes into the bout with 50 wins under his belt, as opposed to his much-younger opponent's 10.

Tyson, who was once reportedly worth an estimated $300 million, blew through most of his fortune and is now said to have a net worth of around $10 million.

He is expected to pocket a staggering $40 million from the fight, with Paul making the same amount.

The internet sensation, who is worth around $80 million, released a cheeky video offering the champ an extra $5 million if he lasts longer than four rounds.

Tyson responded to the offer saying, "He should offer more. Tell him probably about 20 (million)."

However, if he fails to get past the fourth round, the caveat is that he must get a tattoo that reads 'I love Jake Paul'.