You Don’t Play Boxing: Paul Met His Match

Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions

NEW YORK, NY — The expression of “You don’t play boxing” Jake Paul knows. Anthony Joshua always did as an established two-time heavyweight champion. They met in Miami, Florida, Friday evening in a larger than normal 22-foot boxing ring and millions viewing a spectacle on Netflix.

Paul, the Youtube influencer, and for some reason with a cruiserweight ranking (14th), wants to prove he is the best. He envisions a championship will come soon after disposing UFC opponents including former fighters who are no longer in their prime such as Mike Tyson who at 58-years of age still denies their fight was fit for a WWE script.

Though this time at the Kaseya Center, Paul finally met his match. Joshua spoiled the plan with a devastating right on a sixth-round KO, putting an end to the drama and a spectacle leaving Paul with a broken jaw that sent him to a hospital. The sport of boxing gets coverage when Paul fights, again this had lots of intrigue.

It did not end the career of Paul after his second professional defeat, a vastly improved fighter. Though he will be sidelined and on the shelf for some time. He proved an experienced active heavyweight with height and power was too much to contend with in what was scheduled for eight rounds.

Paul was exhausted after running a gauntlet for the first few rounds. In his words, he said “I got my a** beat, I was having fun.” Indeed, Joshua had more of the fun, he proved Paul can’t fight a coveted heavyweight or perhaps an established fighter in their prime.

As the referee said to Paul, “Stop the crap,” alluding to the 28-year-old stumbling to the mat numerous times to get more time or use a tactic that didn’t work and saying fans did not pay to see this.

But either way, fans will come to see Jake Paul fight. I don’t despise Jake Paul, it’s the way he has come up the ladder and got a ranking as other fighters more deserving should be higher on the pole. Fighters want to get in the ring with him, they know it amounts to a nice pay day. Fans, too, are influenced by his antics. Yes, he has exposed boxing to a different level by opening gyms for the youth in Puerto Rico and in the states. He has the money to do that and earned over $40 million taking on Joshua.

He has been a great influence for former undisputed female champion Amanda Serrano, propelling her and female boxing to another level. And similar to the great Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali, who had a spectacle with Japan’s Antonio Inoki in what was a bizarre exhibition match in 1976, this was a show.

Except Ali could get away with it as many say he was the greatest fighter on the planet, so was former champion Tyson. But, Ali was also a showman and that added to his popularity.

My esteemed longtime colleague Mark Kriegel headlined an ESPN column: “It’s a disgrace that Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua is a sanctioned fight.” It went on the records of both fighters, though should never have been sanctioned under the jurisdiction of the Florida State Athletic Commission.

Then again, the name Jake Paul draws revenue despite no championship implications. No titles on the line, more important for Joshua to win after a 15-month hiatus and calling out a long awaited bout with former champion Tyson Fury who will again come out of retirement.

The end results showed. Jake Paul is a professional fighter and “you don’t play boxing” no matter how much money is put on the table.

We haven’t seen the last of him. And for Joshua, a quest to gain another heavyweight championship is next.

Rich Mancuso is a senior columnist at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

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