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Jake Paul knocks out the former MMA Champion, Ben Asken under 2 minutes of boxing engagement on Saturday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia in the United States of America.
Jake started the fight on a fast note by sending a flurry of jabs to Asken’s head and body. The former MMA World Champion was also not spared of probing body shots.
Ben Askren, though an accomplished wrestler, was never known as a prolific striker in his successful mixed martial arts career, and looked stiff and slightly robotic as he tried to figure out a way inside on the younger, stronger and faster Paul.
With Jake’s superior show of boxing technique, it was obvious that Ben Askren would have to turn things into a slugfest fight rather than a straight boxing match.
Unfortunately for Askren, a crushing overhand right from Paul sent him spilling to the floor. Despite beating the count, the referee deemed Askren unable to continue and called the fight off at the 1:59 mark of Round 1.
Although Askren protested the stoppage, the replay showed that Ben wobbled when he was instructed by the American referee, Brian Stutts to walk forward after he beat the count, and the referee thought it wise to wave off the contest against the former world mixed martial artist.
Ben Askren was shown walking backstage smiling after the bout, apparently in good spirits after making $500,000 in disclosed pay for the bout.
This is by far the greatest test of Jake Paul’s boxing pedigree in his 3-match boxing career, having experienced previously, an unbeaten three professional boxing bouts earlier than tonight’s bout. He had fought fellow YouTuber Ali Eson Gib and former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Understandably Ecstatic Jake Paul
Jake Paul responded with a scream to the appreciative audience: “I told y’all I’m a real fighter.”
“It’s been four months. I’ve been in training camp every day,” said Paul. “This is the craziest moment of my life.”It’s been four months, I’ve been in training camp every day,”
“Paul said after his win. “I deserve this shit. I don’t know how many times I have to prove to myself that this is for real.”
“I told y’all I was going to do it in the first round. I told y’all I’m a real fighter. I don’t know how many times I’ve got to prove myself this is for real.”
Paul still needs to prove that he can compete against trained boxers but has done everything that could reasonably be asked in his trio of circus fights to start his boxing career. Paul turned professional with a first-round TKO of fellow YouTuber, Ali Eson Gib before brutally stopping former NBA star Nate Robinson in a viral knockout in his next fight.
Following Jake’s victory over Ben Askren, it remains to be seen if Paul will look to continue to establish himself as a legitimate boxer or continue on a path that has been undeniably successful from a financial standpoint.
Ben Askren’s Acceptable Repertoire
Ben Askren was level-headed when he engaged the reporters after the fight.
“I wasn’t nervous at all because, at the end of the day, my life doesn’t change one way or the other,” Askren said. “In MMA, I was always pursuing or defending a world title, and you know today, I was doing a fun boxing match. If it turned out great, then great. If it turned out shit, then my life is the same. So there were no nerves whatsoever.”
Askren later said the fight would be his last, prompting Paul to ask his millions of Twitter followers: “Who should I retire next?”
Other Spectacles of the Night
Regis Prograis scored a decision win over Ivan Redkach in a fairly unique fashion. On the scorecards, Prograis threw a right hook to the body that seemed to glance off the side.
However, Redkach immediately went to the mat writhing in pain. Redkach claimed it was a low blow that caught him in the groin, but replay showed from multiple angles that it did not.
Redkach was eventually stretchered out of the ring and the fight went straight to the scorecards, where it was a clean sweep for Prograis.
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Celebrity Show-Up
The presence of Justin Beiber and Snoop Doggy Dog, as well as live performances from the Black Keys, Ice Cube and the Doja Cat, got more airtime than the actual fight. Comedian Pete Davidson also arguably stole the show himself with his rib-cracking reporting.
Legendary Snoop Doggy Dog also tried his hand at commentary. “Get me my money, Jake,” he repeated as Paul landed his final blow, before calling out UFC President Dana White for the $2m winnings he said he was owed on a bet.
Love Island star Tommy Fury – a professional boxer and brother of world champion Tyson – was already trending on Twitter as a potential suitor.
Logan Paul, Jake’s brother, had flagged up the KO to Floyd Mayweather. However, before the fight, Paul had said a boxing match-up with UFC star Conor McGregor was “a lot closer than anyone thinks”.
Paul dedicated the win to his security guard, who died 10 days before the fight. He said it had been “the hardest 10 days of my life”.
Earlier in the week, Paul denied the accusation of sexual assault by TikTok star Justine Paradise, who alleged that he forced her to perform a sex act on him and touched her without her consent at his home in Los Angeles in 2019.
