Jake Paul – A Legitimate Boxing Contender or a “Problem Child” for the Sport’s Legitimacy?

As we embarked on another weekend of exciting fights last week, dread loomed for many combat sports fans. Spectators had plenty to look forward to, with UFC Vegas 24 (headlined by Robert Whittaker Vs Kelvin Gastelum) and World Championship Boxing (in the form of Liam Williams vs Demetrius Andrade) representing a showcase of competitive combat sports and displayed by a collection of some of the world’s best combat sports athletes. But world eyeballs were affixed on the latest sporting publicity stunt, as YouTuber Jake Paul took on former UFC competitor (and noted Olympic wrestler) Ben Askren in a boxing bout. Whilst the mantra of the Olympic Games is “Citius, altius, fortius” (Latin for “Faster, higher, stronger”) the former Olympian was defeated by first round stoppage after taking a hard right hand from renowned Disney star Jake Paul. As a multitude of opinions were expressed before, during and after the bout, the result speaks for itself: A media personality defeated a Former MMA World Champion in less than a round in a combat bout. As the dust has settled on this media circus, which Jake Paul claims to have garnered 1.5million Pay-Per-View buys, it’s important to acknowledge the full terms of this event when assessing the legitimacy of Jake Paul’s boxing skills, as well as Jake Paul as a professional sportsperson.

Esteemed boxing directory Boxrec lists Jake Paul as the 686th ranked Professional Cruiserweight boxer in the world, and the 119th ranked American boxer at Cruiserweight also. He boasts a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, with all his wins coming by way of knockout. Whilst all three of his opponents were making their professional boxing debuts against Jake Paul when they matched up, this is not uncommon when a boxer embarks on a newly found career in boxing. But what is uncommon is the fact that all three of his boxing opponents had no prior boxing background at the time of the announcement of their fight (either amateur or professional), no formal boxing training prior to their bouts with Paul and no semblance of fandom for the sport. It seems that whilst any person willing to step into a ring and compete should be applauded for their bravery, Jake Paul has opted to compete in boxing on terms not dissimilar to when a schoolyard bully picks on a kid four years his junior, two feet shorter and lacking in similar fighting experience (or training) than their adversary. And as MMA media figures such as Brendan Schaub and Joe Rogan have lauded Jake Paul for his technical ability and boxing acumen (Brendan Schaub praised “his timing, his footwork, his power” and “his combinations”) it’s worth considering whether this praise is justified, or whether Paul’s boxing displays are benefitting from a low level of competition.

But whilst there’s not much to discuss on Paul’s opponents Nate Robinson (former professional basketball player, not a fighter) and Ali Eson Gib (London based YouTuber, not a fighter), his knockout victory over multiple MMA World Champion Ben Askren is surely a feat worth consideration. The MMA record of Ben Askren boasts 22 wins and 2 losses, with the majority of wins coming by way of stoppage (initiated by his world-class grappling skills). His MMA career amassed multiple world title triumphs, including the Welterweight Titles in Bellator and One FC, and defeats over MMA talents including Robbie Lawler (via submission), Douglas Lima (via decision), Jay Hieron (via decision) and Andrey Koreshkov (via stoppage). But whilst highly successful outside the UFC, perhaps his legacy has been tainted by not achieving the same level of success when he finally entered the world’s premier MMA organisation in 2019 (holding a record of 1 win and 2 losses in the promotion, and falling victim to highlight-reel stoppages from Jorge Masvidal and Demain Maia). But whilst his tenure in the UFC is often criticised, Ben Askren should be commended for his MMA achievements as a whole, and respected for what he done in the sport (both in America and internationally). Not to mention, his contribution to the grappling scene (both as a competitor and a coach) undoubtedly categorises him as a legend in those circles. To put it simply, you cannot achieve what Ben Askren achieved in MMA and grappling without being an exemplary talent.

And if boxing maths were a valid thinking process, you could argue that by Jake Paul defeating Ben Askren, it legitimises the YouTuber as a world class combat sports athlete (similar to how Ben Askren had been viewed throughout his active career). But the saying “you’re only as good as your last opponent” comes to mind when considering the legitimacy of Jake Paul as a boxer, and a number of variables need to be assessed when this is pondered upon. For a start, Jake Paul’s most recent opponent is the same man who famously said he hadn’t trained striking in his fight camp in preparation for his UFC debut with Robbie Lawler (one of the most vicious strikers in the history of MMA). Ben Askren was never known as a prolific striker, and relied heavily on his world-class amateur wrestling to get him over the line (and more times than not, this tactic proved successful). But what hasn’t been well documented, and a key point of contention, is the fact that Askren actively (and perhaps stubbornly) disassociated himself with striking altogether throughout his MMA career. In an interview with Ariel Helwani in 2020, Former Two-Division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier remarked that “He doesn’t listen!” when asked about why Ben Askren continually refused Cormier’s advice to undergo striking training. A showcase of this inexperienced striking can be seen in his last MMA fight against 41-Year-Old Demain Maia, a man known more for his legendary grappling than his level of striking. As Askren attempted to force his wrestling upon the Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he was punched continuously, with little effort/ability to block or evade these strikes. The comparison between the punches Askren landed compared to the ones Maia landed were stark, and in terms of technique, seemed worlds apart. And whilst Demain Maia’s striking is perhaps a notable weakness in his game, his display against Askren would make you think otherwise: This display was exemplified by Daniel Cormier, as he claimed “Ben never learned how to fight”, and commented that “I’ve never seen him (Demain Maia) out-strike somebody like that”.

“You think I could beat Ben Askren?”

When @arielhelwani asked how he’d do in a hypothetical boxing match against @Benaskren, @dc_mma lost it 🤣 pic.twitter.com/40m9E68VK4

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 13, 2020

Whilst Askren’s reluctance to incorporate striking into his MMA approach to fights historically hurt him in business dealings (his release from Bellator FC and his six-year delay to being signed to the UFC can be attributed to a negative narrative resulting from his grappling-heavy MMA approach) perhaps most hurt from this approach is his fighting legacy. His knockout defeat to Jake Paul is, by his own admission “embarrassing”, and the video clip of this will likely follow him forever. But perhaps this reaction is unfair when you consider the facts: Ben Askren had been retired from active competition for over a year and a half before fighting Jake Paul and was (and still is) in the process of recovering from evasive hip surgery. In contrast to this, the 24-year-old Jake Paul has resembled an athletic specimen since beginning his boxing training in 2018, and has been associated with world calibre boxing figures such as Shane Mosley, BJ Flores, Jean Pascal and Evander Holyfield throughout this learning process. Comparing the full-time approach Jake Paul has attributed to his boxing training to the twelve week intensive (and largely undefined) boxing fundamentals course Ben Askren employed tells you all you need to know about both men’s suitability (or lack there of) to competing in a professional boxing ring. For many, the bout between Jake Paul and Ben Askren was nothing more than a smoke and mirrors act, positioned very specifically to maximise win potential for Jake Paul, in the face of a ready and willing audience. Assessing if Jake Paul can really achieve “success” in boxing is already destined: He’s made more money in his first three fights than most combat sports athletes make their entire careers. But whether Jake Paul continues to target inexperienced opponents, or indeed makes the jump to boxing more credible and threatening boxers, is undefined (although absurdly there’s rumours of a possible match-up with Floyd Mayweather). And whilst many combat sports fans will groan at Paul’s Internet antics for as long as his journey through compiling a boxing record continues, it’s a sure bet that we’ll all be watching (in the case of the Ben Askren fight, with one eye closed and through our hands).

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