Daniel Jacobs checked all of the boxes when the Jake Paul fight was offered to him. Former world champion? A recognizable name? Past his best? The Brooklyn man had it all.

Throughout Paul's 13-fight career, his opponents have often fit into certain criteria.

Mike Tyson was no longer the same fighter who struck fear into the hearts of his opponents with just a glance. Nearing his 60s, Tyson is enjoying retirement life. Well, at least he was before Paul came knocking on his door in 2024. After beating him, Paul targeted the woefully inactive Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Beating Chavez came easy, but it turns out he wasn’t Paul’s first choice.

“That was a fight that was kinda offered to me, even in my retirement,” Jacobs revealed during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “This was earlier this year.”

Jacobs’ retirement hasn’t lasted a long time, but he flirted with the idea for a while. Following his 2020 win over Gabe Rosado, the Brooklyn, New York, native took more than a year off before returning against John Ryder, losing a close split decision. From there, Jacobs took off for nearly three years. The 38-year-old believed that would rejuvenate him, but in actuality irreversible rust infiltrated his game, leading to a lopsided loss to Shane Mosley Jr in July 2024.

That defeat was a wake-up call for Jacobs (37-5, 30 KOs) as he hung up his gloves immediately. Currently, he’s enjoying his new life. No more weight cuts, no more skipping meals and no more draining workouts at ungodly hours.

Still, even with retirement treating him right, Jacobs admits that when Paul gave him a ring, he nearly answered.

“It was like a thought, 'Do I actually come outside and put my bat suit on and my Superman cape back on?'”