Boxing
Is Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua a circus or a threat? Experts decide
Jake Paul will face Anthony Joshua on Friday night in Miami in a fight that has divided boxing fans.
No sport provides debate, intrigue and controversy like boxing, and here we have another event that has taken the sports world by storm.
Love it or hate it, the Paul vs. event Joshua is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the year.
Here, ESPN gathered the opinions of some of the biggest names in sports.
Anthony Joshua
“I don’t know how to give up on an opponent. I just can’t do it. Before this fight, I know I’m going to box and get injured. It has nothing to do with the contract; it’s just my mood.”
“I don’t have any say in the contract what I can or can’t do. My mood is to go in there, box, outclass, outshine and hurt my opponent no matter who it is.”
Tyson Fury
“I think it will go far,” former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is quoted as saying on talkSPORT.
“I think it will definitely be a change of place and working for points.”
Otto Wallin
Heavyweight contender Otto Wallin, who was stopped by Joshua, said: “I think it’s quite perilous for Jake Paul to fight Joshua because he hits so incredibly tough.
“I know it – he hits like no one I’ve ever faced.
“I don’t understand why Jake Paul is taking this fight – they certainly seriously underestimate Joshua, but I don’t think I’ll believe the fight will happen until they’re in the ring.
“He’s going to face a cruiserweight that’s not that good. It should be a straight win for Joshua and he’ll make a lot of money out of it.
“It’s a perilous sport and [Paul] he might get knocked out badly and injured in this match.
“Joshua hits unbelievably tough, harder than anyone I’ve ever known. Look what he did against Francis Ngannou, he’s bigger, stronger and better than Jake Paul.”
Aleksander Usyk
“If Anthony Joshua wants, he can kill this guy. Joshua is an Olympic champion. Jake Paul is an athlete, YouTube… showman. Rolls Royce… Fiat. Look, it’s true. It’s business, more money. That’s all.
“I will pray for Jake Paul because I want to fight him in the octagon. As a fan, I want Joshua to face [Tyson] Fury. Listen, I’ll try to assist.”
Deontay Wilder
“I only know one person who would do what Jake is doing, and that’s it,” former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
“And I’m talking about the weight difference. He’s about 215 years elderly [pounds] and Joshua is about 250 years elderly.
“It’s a gigantic weight difference, especially when you add Joshua’s experience to the mix. I don’t know anyone else who could handle that weight difference apart from me.
“I fight guys 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds heavier than me, you know? But I can do it. I can’t say the same about Jake Paul.”
Frank Warren
“This is a very, very essential moment for him [Paul]. He is a huge underdog and everyone will think it will be sealed. It says car accident everywhere.
“People will watch it. It’s a gigantic fight, a fight that will have a lot of viewership.
“He is [Joshua] take the money and it is a safe and sound option. I’d rather he fought Moses there [Itauma]”
Moses This is going to hurt
“Listen, I don’t hate any man who’s trying to do well. Jake Paul is smashing life. He took over YouTube, now he’s trying to take over boxing.
“Even though I don’t think it will be as straightforward as he thinks, fair play to him.
“I will support him because I like to see a man strive for success. Even though I don’t want him to beat AJ, I will support him in his success story.”
Lawrence area
“I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s not a crazy difference in size or skill or different aspects. But you know what, crazier things have happened. We’ll see.”
“From what I heard from AJ, I don’t think he’s going to hit him with a huge right hand and end the fight in 30 seconds.
“But I think if Jake Paul starts touching him, he’ll be fine.” [Joshua knockout].
“He hasn’t been in the ring for a while, maybe he’ll apply this as practice. If Jake Paul catches him and doesn’t take him out the first time, he’s going to hit him tough and I think that’s where things will get intriguing.”
“But crazier things have happened, I don’t know.”
David Adeley
“Gigantic money. Gigantic money. What can we say? Look, if they offered you a fight with Jake Paul, would you take it?”
You’re no different than AJ. You’re just hungry. You’re trying to get into the bag and feed his family. So look, it’s good for boxing. Everyone will watch it.
“It’s going to be intriguing. Look, I’m a fan of this sport. When something happens, sometimes I sit and watch.
“It’s witty that we go back years. Muhammad Ali was doing exhibitions when no one was doing exhibitions. Of course AJ is doing his thing now. Tyson Fury did his [Francis] Ngannou, AJ jumped on the bandwagon and now AJ is doing it.”
Tony Bellew
“[Paul] he’s sparring with Lawrence Okolie and he’s sparring with a lot of other heavyweights that are in his camp,” Tony Bellew told the Froch On Fighting podcast. “And I just think, OK, that’s great. With 16-ounce gloves, maybe 20-ounce gloves and head guards…
“He will never feel anything like this when [Joshua] touches it for the first time with 10 oz gloves and believe me, he is in for a rude awakening.”
Callum Simpson
“I think it’s going to be an straightforward night for AJ, but I don’t think it’s going to be as straightforward as a lot of people think in terms of how quickly he’s going to knock him out, because as a boxer you see all the time, even when there are journeymen, if you can get inbox, if you want to come out in the back and survive, it can be very complex to knock someone out.
“So it depends on what Jake wants to do. If Jake actually wants to come in and get into a fight, he gets knocked out. But if he has to survive, I think he can handle it better.”
And I think that might surprise people, not that I think he’ll win, but I think Joshua might not look as good as everyone expects.
“Great fighter. We’ll have to watch him closely,” Valcarcel told X.
Chaves already holds the WBO Latino lightweight title and entered the fight No. 3 by the sanctioning body. Public praise after such a performance only improves his standing.
Promoter Eddie Hearn was later equally enthusiastic and said the performance confirmed what he had heard about Chaves.
“I thought he was brilliant, amazing. A lot of people told me a lot about him,” Hearn told the media about Chaves. “He’s never fought outside of Argentina, so you never really know if all the hype is true. What we saw tonight is a powerful boxer, but also an smart fighter. He’s someone with a good IQ. Yes, speed and brains. He placed the shot perfectly.”
Madueno had the opportunity to fight established opponents and was seen as a solid test for a fighter making his U.S. debut. Instead, Chaves ended things early with one pristine left hand, which changed the tone of the night.
“He’s a very tough guy and Chaves destroyed him. I think he’s going to be a huge, huge star,” Hearn said.
Taking second place in the WBO rankings may prove more valuable to Chaves than any public call. If Shakur Stevenson moves completely to 140 pounds, a WBO lightweight title fight could open up quickly, putting Chaves on track.
He doesn’t need names like Stevenson or Gervonta Davis to agree to a fight if he continues to win and protect his ranking. Sanctioning bodies regularly move challengers to eliminators or vacant title fights when champions leave divisions or go in another direction.
The lightweight division is crowded, but perhaps Chaves won’t have to chase anyone down. If he stays busy, a title tour could come his way.
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“He’s a great fighter. He has everything,” Sulaiman told Ring Champs. “He has all-time potential. He’s a great fighter.”
Sulaiman said Stevenson’s skills have already been proven in multiple leagues, adding that the latest move has only strengthened his standing in the sport.
The comments came when Sulaiman was asked whether Stevenson could finally become boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter. His answer was direct.
“I think so,” Sulaiman said. “He looks very good and sturdy in this weight class.”
Stevenson’s rise also became a major topic of conversation after the Teofimo fight. Sulaiman said the up-to-date division seemed to suit him physically.
At 28 years elderly, Stevenson is currently at the point in his career where accolades become expectations. Talent alone no longer divides him. The question is whether his upcoming fights match the level people currently see in him.
All the while, Sugar Ray Robinson was moving up from welterweight to middleweight and fighting the toughest monsters of his era without asking them to suck him parched. When you request a hydration clause, as Shakur did with Conor Benn at welterweight, you are essentially saying that you want your opponent to be at his weakest while you are at his best.
Sugar Ray Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” during his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.
Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” in his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.
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