Many figures throughout the combat sports world have been outspoken about fighters pay. Most of the time it’s former or current UFC fighters advocating for unionization and shedding light on the disparity between boxers and mixed martial artists checks. However, over the past year an unlikely (anti)hero has emerged to stand up for fighters around the world. Youtuber, content creator, and Disney actor-turned-boxer Jake Paul has made a point to use his platform to raise awareness about fighters being underpaid in comparison to other high-level athletes.
Paul has been a polarizing figure due to his brash words and cocky behavior. Boasting a record of 4-0 with three knockouts, Paul has received heavy criticism for hand-picking his opponents; none of whom have had boxing experience before stepping in the ring with him. First he fought a fellow Youtuber, then moved onto a basketball player. From there he challenged mixed martial artist Ben Askren to a boxing match. Although Askren has fought for the UFC, has held championship titles in One Championship and Bellator, striking was never a strong part of Askrens game. As a multiple time All-American, Hodge trophy winner and member of 2008 USA Olympic wrestling team, Askren used his wrestling to become a dominant force in mixed martial arts. When Paul challenged him to a boxing match, Askren was already retired and coming off of a recent hip replacement. As most fans expected, Paul knocked out Askren in the first round. During the build up for the Askren fight, Paul had exchanged some heated words with Askrens friend and teammate Tyron Woodley. Woodley, former Strikeforce and UFC Welterweight champion provided a more intriguing matchup for the heavy-handed Paul. Although Tyron also comes from a wrestling background, he’s known for having significant power in his hands. However at 39 years old, Woodley has slowed down considerably. He had lost his last four fights in a row before facing Paul, and many fans believed that Woodley simply didn’t have the fighting spirit anymore. He put on multiple disappointing performances in a row, coming out in phenomenal shape, but hesitant to let his hands go.
The Paul fight was no different. Woodley had some brief moments to inspire hope that maybe he could get it done, but still couldn’t keep up with the punch volume of Paul. Although dropping Paul with a right hand in the fourth round, Woodley lost a unanimous decision. It’s unclear what’s next for Paul. He claims to have aspirations of becoming a champion, but has yet to show any intention of fighting a real boxer. Hopefully his platform can continue to draw a new generation of fans to boxing and help combat athletes in multiple sports earn a heftier paycheck.
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About the Author
Oliver Swanson is an avid combat sports fan and a practitioner of Boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Precision Boxing and MMA. He’s a NASM Certified personal trainer and amateur boxer. A lifelong Hudson Valley resident, Oliver loves spending time in nature with his family when he’s away from the gym.
