Jake Paul talked a big game before his bout with Anthony Joshua on Friday, but his controversial approach left fans frustrated and even the announcing team angry at times.
Paul lost on a sixth-round knockout, but not before fans grew upset at several falls that Paul took in what some saw as an attempt to extend the match. The former YouTube star turned boxer came into the fight as a big underdog and was able to make it six rounds against the former Olympic champion, but not before sparking some major backlash among fans.
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Jake Paul Called Out for ‘Putrid’ Approach
Paul’s approach sparked a big backlash, with many fans taking to social media to mock his several falls.
Announcers for the Netflix bout called out Paul for his “putrid” approach, throwing fewer than 10 punches in several rounds. Paul fell to the canvas several times while grappling with Anthony in the fourth round, including one time when he appeared to take a knee to the groin and took several moments to return to the bout.
Paul took two falls in the fifth round, withstanding a flurry of punches just before the bell to end the round. He went down again early in the sixth round, then again with 1:33 remaining when the fight was stopped.
Paul had plenty of confidence before the bout, saying in a pre-fight press conference that he believed he was a better fighter than the Olympic gold medalist.
“On paper, the cards are stacked against me but really, in terms of boxing, I’m a better boxer than AJ which is like a hilarious thing to say but he’s got two left feet, he’s stiff,” Paul told reporters, via Bloody Elbow.
The former social media star turned boxer went on to mock Joshua, bringing his typical theatrics to the press conference.
“If I was his coach I would put him in a dance class first, before trying to box,” Paul said. “And really, just bringing in the right sparring partners to help me prepare so that I can get looks that are similar to him and that’s really just been the strategy but I’m gonna go in there and display all my skills.”
Paul told ESPN that he believed he would pull off the upset.
“I’ve studied David and Goliath going into this fight,” Paul said. “There’s a split-second moment where Goliath draws back his arrow, and that’s when David can hit him. I believe the same thing will happen here. There’s going to be a moment when Joshua is exposed, and I know I have the power to be able to beat him.”
Sanctioned Fight Sparked Controversy
Even before Paul and Anthony stepped into the ring on Friday, their fight was generating controversy. ESPN’s Mark Kriegel wrote that it was a “disgrace” that the Florida State Athletic Commission sanctioned the fight despite the massive disparities in size and experience between the fighters.
He suggested that it would have never been sanctioned had Paul been a “lesser-known 12-1 cruiserweight and not a promoter.”
“I’m not a prude here. Nor a hater,” Kriegel wrote. “I don’t expect anyone to get seriously hurt, especially not when the promoter and fighter are one and the same. My bet’s on a muffled affair in the name of commerce. But there’s still that terrible chance, and now (thank you, Florida), a terrible precedent.”
