In a surprising public rift, boxing champion Amanda Serrano has indirectly challenged the comments of her promoter, Jake Paul, over his social media post about music superstar Bad Bunny. Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer and co-founder of Serrano's promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, recently called Bad Bunny a "fake American" and urged a boycott of his Super Bowl halftime performance.
Serrano's public response on her social media account is a rare moment of visible disagreement within their highly successful partnership, which she has previously credited with transforming her career and life.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024
Just hours before Super Bowl LX, Jake Paul posted a call to action on X:
"Purposefully turning off the halftime show," Paul wrote, encouraging fans to rally against large corporations. He specifically targeted the headline performer, adding, "A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America".
Paul concluded his post by stating, "I cannot support that".
Serrano’s Response
Amanda Serrano, a proud Puerto Rican like Bad Bunny, publicly countered Paul's narrative on X:
Her decision to speak out reveals that she took Paul’s comments to heart, connecting them to their shared heritage.
“I am proud to be Puerto Rican, and I am proud to be an American citizen,” she retorted. “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.”
"I would not have the opportunities I have today without the support and belief that Most Valuable Promotions and Jake Paul showed in me, and I will always be grateful for the role they have played in helping change my life and in elevating women’s boxing," she stated. "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."
Before posting her response, she shared that she was in Puerto Rico with her friends and family, watching Bad Bunny’s halftime performance:
The rebuttal placed Serrano in a difficult position between her promoter and her cultural identity.
This controversy followed earlier backlash Paul received for comments on X defending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where he argued, "If you don't like ICE, then you can’t call 911 when you’re in trouble."
People online responded to his post:
"Can’t even blame you. All those blows to your head over the years surely had a very bad effect on your brain."
“ICE aren't the police, you dimwitted punching bag.”
“This is what getting hit in the head regularly does to someone, I guess.”
“Can’t believe Amanda Serrano supports this clown who lives in PR himself.”
“Jake Paul lives in Puerto Rico, and represents one of the greatest boxers to ever put gloves on Amanda Serrano. If I’m Amanda Serrano I’d feel some type of way about this.”
The tension contrasts sharply with Serrano's past praise for Paul.
A Disagreement Despite Deep Business Ties
In a July 2025 interview with Complex Sports, she stated, "Jake Paul came into my life and completely changed it."
She credited him and his team for helping her career and her family's life, calling Paul "the most polite man" she has worked with.
"He wants every athlete on his roster to succeed and earn what they deserve," Serrano added.
Despite the disagreement, their professional relationship is deeply entrenched. Paul's Most Valuable Promotions co-promoted Serrano's record-breaking trilogy fight against Katie Taylor, which headlined at Madison Square Garden and streamed on Netflix.
The incident reveals how external political debates can penetrate and strain even the tightest-knit sports partnerships.