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We've seen Jake Paul back his trash talk up with an impressive performance in the boxing ring before. A few days from now, we'll find out if he can do it against Ben Askren, who will be making his professional boxing debut.
Many doubted that Jake Paul can defeat a former pro athlete like Nate Robinson. However, Jake Paul made a fool out of his critics when he put the retired NBA guard to sleep in the second round.
Once again, the YouTube star has the opportunity to silence his doubters by defeating a former UFC fighter. Listed below are five reasons why Jake Paul has a good chance of beating Ben Askren:
#5 The numbers are in favor of Jake Paul
During their face-off, it's glaringly noticeable that Jake Paul is much larger than his opponent. Standing at 6'1, Jake Paul basically towered over 5'10 Ben Askren as they talked smack to one another.
Not only that, Jake Paul (76 inch) has the reach advantage over Ben Askren (72 inch) as well. And while having a longer reach doesn't totally decide the outcome of a boxing match, it could very well be a decisive factor especially against a grappler like Askren.
Finally, Father Time is in Jake Paul's corner as well. If he was about to fight a prime Ben Askren, this would have been a totally different story. However, Ben Askren at 36 is way past his athletic heyday.
#4 Jake Paul is not intimidated by Ben Askren
Aside from Jake Paul's obvious size advantage, one more thing can be learned by watching the incredibly awkward face-off between the two combatants. Fight fans found out that Jake Paul is not afraid of Ben Askren.
Most people would be intimidated to stare down an ex-professional fighter and a former welterweight champion, no less. But not Jake Paul.
Granted, shoving Ben Askren and giving him a palm strike to the body was way too funny to take seriously. But at least we know that Jake Paul doesn't fear Ben Askren at the very least.
#3 Jake Paul has more boxing experience
On paper, a former cage fighter like Ben Askren should be able to easily take Jake Paul out. However, it is important to remember that Ben Askren will be competing with Jake Paul in a completely different sport to MMA.
Throughout his professional career, Ben Askren used his masterful grappling skills and ground game to win most of his fights. Unfortunately for him, those skills won't help in his bout against the YouTube star.
Jake Paul, on the other hand, has been boxing for years. He has also trained alongside the likes of boxing legend 'Sugar' Shane Mosley. On top of that, Jake Paul already has two victories under his belt–both of which came by way of knockout.
#2 Betting analysts think so
Ben Askren, a retired professional fighter, has to be the heavy betting odds favorite right? Wrong! In fact, it's the complete opposite as betting websites pegged Jake Paul as the -225 favorite, leaving Ben Askren as the underdog at +185.
In other words, betting analysts believe that Jake Paul has a 69.2 percent chance of walking away with the victory. While heavier odds have been overcome in the past, this certainly does not bode well for Ben Askren.
#1 Jake Paul has very little to lose
If Jake Paul wins, his status as a fighter gets elevated for having defeated a former ONE Championship and Bellator welterweight champ. If Jake Paul loses, he could always go back to making YouTube videos.
That margin for error isn't available for his opponent, Ben Askren. He has to win or he'll tarnish his legacy even further and drag the reputation of MMA as a sport to the mud with him. That immense amount of pressure can either motivate Ben Askren to succeed or distract him from getting the job done.
You know who will be fighting on April 17 without any pressure at all? Jake Paul.
