KUALA LUMPUR - One of the most controversial boxing matches in recent times will be happening between Jake Paul and Ben Askren this Sunday at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The controversy behind this match is extremely layered but centred around the fact both fighters are not exactly titans in the sport.
But the bout has garnered significant hype.
Paul is a YouTuber, and only had two professional fights. But his opponents were never professional boxers.
His last fight was against basketball star Nate Robinson, where Paul managed to secure a knockout.
Paul has demonstrated good boxing skills, speed and power in his matches and training footages.
But it can be seen, in high-pressure situations during his fights, Paul does make mistakes and foregoes basic boxing technique.
His opponent, Ben Askren is a mixed-martial-arts fighter, who won two world championships and is an Olympic wrestler.
His biggest drawback coming into the boxing bout seems to be fact that he lacks striking skills.
During his wins in MMA, Askren relied heavily on his superior strength in wrestling, not strikes.
Instead of using the footwork necessary to avoid or strike an opponent, Asken usually plods forward, eat punches on the way, and then go in for the takedown.
Nevertheless, Askren has proved in the MMA arena that he has a strong chin.
He has taken brutal beatings from the likes of Robbie Lawler to prove it. Of course, the flying knee by Jorge Masvidal which knocked out Askren cold would have done the same to anyone.
So now, we have Paul, who has decent boxing skills, but has never faced fighters or boxers.
On the other hand, Askren, who does not have great boxing skills, but has faced ruthless athletes in MMA competitions, displayed great stamina and toughness.
The answer seems obvious: This is a boxing match, and Paul seems to have the better weapons to win.
But one should not discount Askren just yet.
Audiences can expect Askren to use his superior grappling prowess to tie Paul up in the clinch, draining away the YouTuber's energy.
It would not be surprising, also, to see Askren eating a few punches.
If he can eat a few punches from the greats in MMA, there is no reason why he could not do the same with Paul.
Once Paul has used up all the gas in the tank fighting in the clinch and throwing punches that would not faze his opponent, perhaps then, Askren would go in for the kill.
It seems like a tough strategy for a win, but Askren has the mental upper hand to execute such a plan.
In other words, Paul will be facing an opponent who has trained nearly his whole life in fighting, and has the mentality of a fighter.
Whether that is enough for Askren to win, would only be known Sunday. - The Vibes. April 17, 2021
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