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When Jake Paul made his boxing debut on January 30th, 2020, no one expected him and his older brother Logan Paul to take the fighting world by storm.
Many doubted Jake Paul's abilities as a combat athlete, but fast forward to 2021, and we can see that the formula Jake Paul employed for his boxing career has paid off. So much so that many people are now starting to believe in Paul's abilities as a legitimate boxer.
Here are 3 reasons why Jake Paul is being taken seriously as a fighter:
3) The level of competition Jake Paul has faced
You can't help but look at the pattern of the competition he has faced. When Paul first began his professional boxing career, it was against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib. Then there was a professional basketball player in Nate Robinson, an athlete who has been physically conditioned to do high-level sports.
Jake Paul's last outing came against Ben Askren, a significant step up in competition considering 'Funky' is a former combat athlete who held titles in Bellator and ONE Championship. While Askren may not have been a striker by any means, he effectively became the first fighter Jake Paul knocked out.
'The Problem Child' will make his next walk against Tyron Woodley on August 28th, 2021. At 39 years old, Woodley is still in excellent physical condition and is a former UFC champion who last competed at UFC 260 on March 27th, 2021.
'The Chosen One' lost to Vicente Luque, which took the former welterweight champion's losing streak to four in a row. He was subsequently let go by the UFC.
Jake Paul, despite his success and constant doubt at the level of competition, is truly taking a steeper task in fighting Woodley. Unlike Askren, Tyron Woodley is a wrestler with heavy hands and is more dangerous than all of Paul's collective opponents so far. This truly marks the biggest test for the YouTuber-turned-boxer, and if he beats Woodley, 'The Problem Child' will establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.
2. The betting odds
When you look at the betting odds for each fight Jake Paul has had, the YouTuber is favored in each outing. When he fought Gib, the fight was favored for Paul at -240, with Gib being +195. During Jake Paul vs. Nate Robinson, it was Jake Paul coming in at -250 to Nate Robinson's +195, seeing a slight shift in Jake Paul's favor despite now being paired to fight a legitimate sports athlete.
The odds for Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren had it at -155 for Paul to +125 for Askren. The odds were closer in this fight compared to the other two before this bout due to the fact Askren was a legitimate combat athlete. Yet, Jake Paul was the favorite in this story, and rightly so, considering he ended up winning via first-round KO.
The current odds for Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley have the YouTube influencer at -138 against Woodley at +100. This comes as a surprise to many, seeing how after just three pro fights, Paul is the favorite against a former UFC champion.
1. More active than most boxers
Another factor that adds to his growing star power is that Jake Paul has been more active than any fighter in the boxing world. Between his debut in January 2020 and his scheduled bout in August 2021, the man will have racked up four fights. The only other boxer as active as him? Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez with three fights in that span.
Manny Pacquiao will return in August after a two-year layoff. Errol Spence Jr., Pacquiao's opponent, will fight his second fight in the span that Jake Paul's career has taken off. Terrence Crawford has only fought once, while Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis have or will have a total of two fights each between January 2020 and August 2021.
It shows the lack of activity boxing stars have and is a testament to Jake Paul's hunger to constantly take fights under different promotions, bettering his celebrity status constantly.
An argument can be made that the other boxers mentioned above are fighting a much higher level of opposition while Paul is yet to face a professional boxer. However, Jake Paul also has significantly less training time and experience than any of the boxers mentioned above. Additionally, he began boxing to do celebrity fights and earn notoriety.
If 'The Problem Child' beats 'The Chosen One' in August, the world will be forced to give him some level of credit, even if they have no desire to do so.
Do you think Jake Paul can be called a successful combat sports athlete if he beats Tyron Woodley? Sound off in the comments!
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