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Jake Paul, aka "The Problem Child," lived up to his promise as he knocked out former MMA star Ben Askren inside the first round.
After weeks of edgy banter and vicious verbal spars, Paul and Askren finally got a piece of each other in a brutally short contest that took place at Triller Fight Club recently.
The buildup leading into the fight has been astronomical. Several pundits favored Paul to trounce his older MMA counterpart once they ended up meeting in the squared circle on April 17th.
Their predictions proved to be prophetic as Askren seemed to slow off the blocks compared to Paul's rampaging self as he came firing forward on all cylinders.
After a few hooks to his opponent's head, Paul let loose a devastating right hand which sent Askren reeling to the canvas.
Despite beating the count, Askren stumbled while walking forward. The referee deemed him unfit to continue and shockingly ruled the fight in Paul's favor.
As soon as word got around that Paul had knocked out Askren within the first round, Twitter was abuzz with several reactions as the online community shared their thoughts on the showdown.
Jake Paul KO: The Problem Child knocks out Ben Askren in a one-sided encounter
Apart from the 12-year age difference and physical conditions of both, fans were also curious to see how Askren's grappling style would ultimately fare against Paul's pronounced, rapid blows.
As viewers across the globe tuned in virtually to witness the action unfolding at the Mercedes-Benz Allianz Stadium in Atlanta, the high-profile event seemed more like a drag until Paul and Askren finally took center stage.
This was primarily due to the endless musical performances at the event, where everyone from Snoop Dogg to Justin Bieber belted out a host of chartbusters. The shoddy camerawork only added to the virtual audience's woes, who at times felt that they were watching a concert instead of a boxing event.
Moreover, with no real boxing experience, Askren was heading into the fight with a clear disadvantage as the overwhelming underdog.
Deemed a battle of generations and a perfect clash of brawn vs brash, the bout seemed to oscillate between the two men before a rapid cascade of blows proved to be decisive.
From his "Real Steel" inspired entrance, where he had a giant Decepticon-style robot accompanying him down to ringside, Paul seemed to exude confidence as his characteristic brash self instead of Askren's comparatively restrained and composed demeanor.
Here are some of the reactions online, as scores of fans took to Twitter to respond to the Paul x Askren bout via a slew of hilarious memes:
From Snoop Dogg and Pete Davidson's rip-roaring commentary to fans debating the contentious decision of the fight, Twitter seems to be witnessing an unprecedented flurry of activity at the moment.
As reactions continue to come in thick and fast, it looks like there is no stopping Paul for now, who now extends his professional boxing record to 3-0 and counting.
Perhaps Conor McGregor is next. When it comes to the Problem Child, anything is possible.
