We have a heavyweight bout on our hands, folks.

After being criticized online for signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, former Penn State and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley heard enough. He decided to go one-on-one with one of his haters during one of the biggest boxing events of the year.

Tiki Barber, another former Giants running back, made multiple comments stating if Barkley signed with the Eagles, Barber would lose all of the respect he once had for Barkley.

After the signing was finalized, Barber said, “You’re dead to us, Saquon. Good luck, you’re dead to me,” on his radio show “Evan & Tiki.”

"You're dead to us"

Tiki reacts to Saquon Barkley reportedly signing with the hated Eagles pic.twitter.com/fU3hYZaQkV

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 11, 2024

Barkley eventually responded to Barber’s comment on X, mentioning that Barber had been a hater of his since he arrived in New York, and he got the deal that he wanted — a deal the Giants never offered him.

@TikiBarber lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team.. I got the deal I wanted, secured more gm which wasn’t given to me before… so if fans are gonna hate me for that so be it! But I never turned my back on my teammates and always had theirs https://t.co/6aKgJquD0F

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024

@TikiBarber you been a hater since I got to New York … and all the “Dead to me” talk don’t smile in my face when you see me

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024

After going back and forth online, the two decided to ditch the social media gridiron and settle their issues inside the boxing ring. Barber and Barkley will go one-on-one in an eight-round exhibition fight ahead of the Bo Nickal-Jake Paul event set for this summer.

Barkley grew up boxing and holds claim to family ties in the sport. His grandfather Alibay was a boxer and his great uncle, Iran Barkley, was a title-belt holder across three weight classes.

“I truly, truly, truly believe that if I didn’t I didn’t fall in love with football, I would’ve ended up being a boxer,” Barkley told USA Today in 2017.

The event is set to take place at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 21, in Las Vegas. Barkley and Barber will duke it out ahead of Nickal and Paul’s primetime battle at 10 p.m.

Editor’s note: This story is part of Onward State’s April Fools’ Day series. It is satirical, meant for entertainment, and not to be taken literally. Any quotes were made up for the purpose of this post.