Chael Sonnen, retired UFC fighter, is rarely short of a controversial opinion. His latest hot take is that Jake Paul is the “most feared man in boxing”, a position Sonnen declared from his YouTube channel.
“Jake Paul is the most feared man in boxing. These boxers are not sure they can beat him. They are not sure they can deal with it. The trainers are not sure that a kid that he’s had since middle school and worked with 11 or 12 years can’t get the jump on a guy who’s done it four times.
Chael Sonnen: Jake Paul is “Most Feared Man in Boxing”
It is the biggest, most profiled spotlight with the largest paycheque and nobody wants to do it. You’re not hearing names pop up. You’re not hearing them sprout up anywhere.”
Chael Sonnen was one of the UFC’s most notorious trash talkers, so it’s worth taking his words with a grain of salt. At this point, however, it’s worth looking at whether this claim holds any water.
Any serious consideration of Jake Paul’s boxing career must take into account his formidable record. Paul remains undefeated, with a 5-0 record. Paul is aged only 25, with many long years of activity ahead of him if he so chooses.
He has knocked out every single one of his opponent, sealing that particular statistic with a stunning one-punch KO victory over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Woodley was arguably Paul’s toughest opponent to date, but therein lies the issue with his boxing career.
Jake Paul has never boxed a boxer. To date, he has knocked out a fellow YouTuber, a basketball player, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren. Both Woodley and Askren were wrestling-oriented fighters, although Tyron Woodley’s striking was notably superior to Askren’s.
Paul was scheduled to fight Tommy Fury, a professional boxer and younger brother to world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, in 2021, but Fury pulled out due to illness, leading Woodley to replace him.
Both Woodley and Askren were firmly in the downswings of their MMA careers, with Askren retired and Tyron Woodley riding a four-fight skid.
The fact may be that it doesn’t matter whether Jake Paul is any good as a boxer or not. If a professional boxer fights Paul, it’s almost a lose-lose scenario for the boxer. Defeating Jake Paul is easy to dismiss as the light work of a professional taking down an overhyped social media personality.
Losing to Paul, however, would be a professional humiliation for someone devoting their life to the sweet science. Although Jake Paul might be one of the biggest names in boxing, the career payoff for a lifelong fighter in taking him on might not be sweet enough.
Do you think boxers are afraid of Jake Paul, or is there more to the story? Let us know in the comments.
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