By Geno McGahee
With a crushing right hand, Jake Paul, 5-0, 4 KO’s, made a huge statement, leaving Tyron Woodley in an unconscious heap. Despite the majority of the fight being dull and full of clinches, Paul found magic in round six and has kept the PPV money train on the tracks and now he plans to cash in against one of the biggest names combat sports has ever seen, Conor McGregor, 0-1 (Boxing), 22-6 (MMA).
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul understands how to sell a fight, love him or hate him. He has become one of boxing’s biggest attractions and he’s done it by fighting other YouTubers and athletes that have come from different sports. His focus recently has been on former champions of the UFC and that has turned the boxing matches into curiosities. The lead up to the fights has been entertaining and there is always the uncertainty going in. Due to the inexperience of Paul, there’s always the chance he will lose and a lot of boxing fans are eagerly awaiting it.
Conor McGregor understands showmanship better than most and made a bundle in his first crossover fight against Floyd Mayweather, JR., in 2017. Despite the lopsided scorecards, McGregor seemed to be winning the first half of the fight clearly until he ran out of gas and was stopped in round ten. It was a loss but he showed that an MMA fighter can contend with the best boxing has to offer.
If this fight materializes, I suspect it will be 10 rounds and it will be a big test for both men. McGregor is coming off of two defeats in the octagon by stoppage and his MMA career seems done. He has been bulking up lately and this fight may have been part of the reason why he has been focusing on putting on weight to compete with a cruiserweight.
For Paul, he’s not fought a puncher like McGregor. He is known for his striking and he could give the Problem Child problems if he lands. He’s also a southpaw and that will be something that Paul will have to contend with. On paper, this is his toughest challenge by far even with the deteriorating skills of McGregor.
McGregor will go into the Paul fight with plenty of confidence, but he’s never been hit by a big puncher like Paul. It will be interesting to see what happens when Paul lands that right hand flush. If he does, it could be another KO of a UFC legend for the YouTube star.
No matter what, Paul and McGregor will both win. If this fight becomes official, it would probably be the highest selling PPV for the year. I can only imagine the press conferences and antics both will bring.
