Jake Paul Phony Fights Discussion

Potentially. The Guardian seem pretty sure it’ll happen though. Apparently Netflix will make the announcement on Monday, for the 19th or 26th December in Miami.

 

on Netflix, not PPV.

 

Anyone that beat Mike Tyson, you must give a chance to beat AJ. Wouldn't you give the Holyfield that beat Mike Tyson a chance to beat AJ?

 

Joke of a "fight" Maybe says more about Joshua's mind set and the sport than anything else.
Farcical and dangerous beyond what should be considered acceptable.
Would you fancy Chris Billam-Smith V AJ? Probably not but at least he's a high level cruiser weight and former titlist.
Ngannu had a combat sports background, genuinely big guy and was competitive against an un trained Fury who was lucky not to loose.
Paul is nowhere Ngannu's level or size... If any nutters sanction this so they get a pay out lord help them when Joshua lands big.

 

And for those that don't have it...

 

It's a publicity stunt. There's no way Jake Paul would go from fighting old men, midgets and old midgets to Antony Joshua.

 

I would have respect for him if he took the cross gen fight with Itauma next as right time for both.

 

Me, too. But I'd still give Joshua respect for KOing a twat. Not as much respect as fighting Itauma, obviously, but he still gets some respect for KOing a twat, all the same.

 

The respect for KOing Paul isn't about Paul's level. It's about him being a knob head and disrespecting the sport.

 

that's the same for any fight.. if you can't afford £7 a month for Netflix then you won't be watching i guess

 

Exactly, every time I see people start a sentence with "Fair play to Jake Paul though" my faith in this sport dies a little bit more.

 

Be getting millions for it too, people act like he's just having a straightener round the back of a pub. I'd get in the ring with AJ for 10 mil.

 

The idea that "it's good for boxing" to have Jake Paul KO'd by a top boxer for tens of millions of dollars doesn't make sense either.
It's not going to discourage others copying his M.O. It will encourage them. There are Hungarian journeyman that get KO'd in mismatches every week, against prospects, for a few quid. That's bad enough. To elevate that to a multi-millions proposition and consider it a proper part of an established top boxer's schedule, makes no sense.

The proper professional boxing circuit should have ignored these YouTubers a few years ago, whatever money was at stake. There's always been enough problems with 'hype jobs' and 'padded records' and 'obvious mismatch' in the so-called "legit" game, but with the advent of Jake Paul, etc., anything goes from now on.

Boxing needs reforming. Commissions and sanctioning bodies should be strict on who can fight who. Mismatches need to be eliminated. But I'm afraid it looks like it will go the other way. When the public get sick of being sold mismatches, the promoters will feed them a few rigged exhibitions to make it look competitive for a while, then back to mismatches. Boxers of any reputation will fight once a year at most, and a bit less when they get older, but never truly retire, always willing to engage in some sort of farcical humiliation ritual if they're offered enough millions.

 

You're right and it's not that new either. Roy Jones did it too many times and although his record looks terrible on paper, people happily remember his peak. Mayweather is doing it and hasn't come unstuck yet. Look back to people like Bugner fighting long past their time, Lucas Browne looks like he's doing it.

And then there's the celebrity circuit - Comic Relief did it years ago in the UK for fun but then that turned into Freddie Flintoff doing it 'for real', Rio Ferdinand would have done if the doctor allowed it, etc etc. People need saved from themselves but as long as boxing has mass casual appeal, people will use it as a bandwagon. No surprise how few people choose to dabble in MMA though - you can box badly but you really can't play at 'fighting'.

 

Oh I will be watching, but I won't be paying.