By Lourence Alturino
Image from Triller
The time is now. Jake Paul vs Ben Askren. One of the biggest fights of the year so far. This fight is actually harder to predict than people think. Can Jake Paul prove that he is a "legit boxer" or will Ben Askren humble the popular Youtuber?
Jake Paul
When you first hear of Jake Paul, you usually think of him as a Youtube sensation. Now Jake has shifted his focus to the ring. Jake started boxing in 2018 with a TKO win in an amateur fight against fellow Youtuber, Deji. Paul has had 2 professional fights since then. He has fought Youtuber, Aneson Gib and former NBA player, Nate Robinson. Paul had beat Gib in the first round via TKO and made Nate Robinson an everlasting meme by knocking Nate out cold. Jake has only shown improvements in his boxing ability, but the biggest flaw in his 3-0 record is the experience and ability of his opponents. He has fought 2 Youtubers and a former NBA player that had no idea what he was doing. Will Paul prove this to be an irrelevant statement moving forward?
Ben Askren
Not a lot of people know who Ben Askren is. Askren is a former MMA fighter with multiple championships from multiple big promotions (Bellator and ONE Championship). Just looking at that, you would assume that Ben will destroy Jake. The thing is Ben Askren is not known to be a good boxer, but he is known as an amazing wrestler. While that can be concerning for some, he has looked a lot sharper in his recent open workout. We can't forget though, Ben has been fighting for over a decade. Askren has plenty of experience and can definitely take a punch. Is Askren's experience enough to get the victory? Ben Askren's open workout down below.
Keys for Paul:
- Start out fast especially in the 2nd and 3rd rounds
- Look for counters as Ben's lead hand is low
Keys for Askren:
- Clinch and use your weight to wear out Jake
- Get in the danger zone and go from there
My Final Predictions:
Youtube Boxing vs MMA. The ultimate crossover is happening. Jake Paul is the better boxer, but Ben Askren has way more fighting experience. We have not seen Paul go past 2 rounds in his last 2 fights. Is his gas tank good enough for an 8 round fight? Ben's definitely will be. Ben should definitely try and frustrate Jake. If Ben gets on the inside and if Jake can't cut angles, Jake will have a very long night. If this fight ends early, Jake wins. If this fight ends late, Ben wins. Finally, I predict Ben Askren will win this fight via 7th round TKO. This is a close call, but I think Ben's experience and mentality puts him ahead of Jake's boxing. I see Ben surviving the first 3 rounds, frustrating Jake, and driving him in deep waters. This fight can prove that Jake is a "legit boxer" and can fight a real fighter. Is Ben Askren going to be the one to humble Jake? I surprisingly think so.
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