Friday , March 29 2024

Jake Paul Shakes Up The Combat World

Jake Paul Shakes Up The Combat World

While the worlds of social media and combat sports are not usually intertwined, that is not to say they are not apart either and with YouTube sensations now testing their mettle in the boxing ring, the sport otherwise known as the ‘Sweet Science’ has certainly entered into a new frontier.

A frontier which has seen media icons become pugilistic punishers and although such a concept has created many a detractor – especially from those who consider themselves boxing purists, it has also crafted plenty of new fans at the same time.

While the man responsible for boxing’s new wave is none other than Jake Paul and although he was not necessarily the man to kickstart such a combat culture, he has certainly been responsible for its current boom.

Then again, Jake only has to look as far as his brother Logan as the genesis of all this and with the now 26-year-old taking on fellow YouTuber KSI across two fights 2018 and 2019, he paved the way for others to follow.

Something that Jake has not only done, but considerably led the path for a whole host of others and with the younger of the Paul brothers fighting on the Logan Paul vs KSI Undercard (while also fighting KSI’s brother), the boxing bug was well and truly caught.

Not only that, but it also created something of a lightbulb moment for boxing promoters all around the world and with the sport as a whole somewhat dwindling since the rise of the UFC, Paul and his ilk were viewed as the men to catapult it back into the spotlight.

Such has been the proliferation of the UFC over the past few years, that Dana White’s fight league has only grown in further popularity and for those who like a wager or two, there are plenty of UFC odds now available with the biggest and best sportsbooks.

Then again, boxing is also a sport that is synonymous with the world of gambling and there would have been plenty of bets placed when Jake Paul had the first professional boxing bout of his burgeoning career last January.

With The Meridian at Island Gardens playing host to a bout between the Ohio-born celebrity and another YouTuber – this time coming in the guise of AnEsonGib, it was the American who won in the first of six scheduled rounds.

A win that came courtesy of a TKO and although neither man could truly call themselves a true professional, there was an incredible amount of interest in the fight. Interest that was quickly converted into dollars.

Because for as old as time and in any combat discipline, the freak show has always sold the most. For example, you only have to look at the likes of Butterbean Esch and each time his super-heavyweight frame took to the ring.

Butterbean could be found plying his trade both in America or Japan and his talents did not stop at simply boxing either, as the giant also partook in MMA contests against the likes of Genki Sudo and also appeared at the then called WWF’s, Wrestlemania 15 event.

Although Paul the younger is much slighter in frame, he certainly conveys the same freakshow appeal and if promoters are prepared to throw money at such a spectacle, then he and other social media warriors would be silly to turn it down.

After the victory against AnEsonGib, a fight against Nate Robinson followed at the end of last year and although the sporting world was decimated by COVID-19, that did not stop Robinson himself being decimated in November 2020.

That’s because he suffered a first round knockout at the Los Angeles based Staples Center and after extending his own personal record to 2-0, the question is who would be next to enter this fighting circus.

An answer that came courtesy of Ben Askren and with the former MMA champion swapping the cage for the ring, many believed he would be the man to end what was becoming a prospering winning streak by the man in profile.

However, the bookmakers were certainly embarrassed in April of this year, as Askren suffered a first round TKO in the first of eight scheduled rounds. Then again, there are still serious claims over the validity of this bout.

Which leads us to the fourth and final contest that Jake Paul has taken part in during his nascent combat career and after getting the better of Tyron Woodley back in August, his overall fight record stands at 4-0.

Of course, this is a man that still has a lot to do in terms of winning over his critics – then again, he is also a man who cares little about his critics and it will be interesting to see, just who his fifth professional boxing foe ends up being. That is, if he decides to step into the ring once more.

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