Jake Paul’s boxing resume is littered with former MMA stars and past-their-prime pugilists.
Despite becoming one of the biggest names in the sport, ‘The Problem Child’ has faced a litany of backlash from pundits and purists, much of it surrounding his lack of legitimate opponents. Over the last few years, Paul has faced ex-mixed martial artists like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. He’s also gone toe-to-toe with former boxing champions like 58-year-old ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson and a mere shell of the fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. used to be.
Offering his take on Paul’s uninspiring choice of opposition, former UFC middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping wonders how long the YouTube star can sustain his popularity without truly testing himself inside the squared circle.
“I keep asking myself, who are Jake Paul’s real opponents? How many of these fights are genuine competitive matchups, and how many are fights put together to keep the spotlight on him? And then there’s talk of him fighting Anthony Joshua, which right now feels like a pipe dream given the current circumstances,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.
“Jake Paul has done a great job at bringing eyes to combat sports, no doubt, but when you look at the caliber of opposition he’s fighting, it makes you question how long his run can really last. Does he have the skill or humility to step up into top-level boxing, or is this going to remain more entertainment than sport?”
Jake Paul books bout with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
On November 14, Paul will face his toughest test yet when he meets current WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in a non-title exhibition bout.
Paul officially announced the bout on August 20, revealing that the event will air live and exclusively on Netflix, the same streaming service that hosted the record-breaking Paul vs. Tyson clash late last year.
Paul will give up a significant experience advantage against Davis, but he’ll more than make up for it in size. ‘Tank’ typically competes at 135 pounds while Paul tipped the scales at just under 200 pounds for his cruiserweight clash against Chavez Jr.
The two parties will negotiate a weight class in the coming weeks, but regardless of what they agree on, Paul will have an undeniable advantage when it comes to both size and power.
