Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua's boxing match is happening on December 19th, and the underdog is up to his usual antics in trolling his opponent on social media. Or, at least I think that's what he's doing, as his latest post about the fighter had me confused about what Paul is trying to accomplish with all this.
While fighting fans eagerly await the chance to watch the bout with their Netflix subscription, Jake Paul is up on Instagram spouting off facts about his opponent. That said, I'm not sure if he's stating facts or trying to say something with this post, which points out just how different 2012 was for them:
He's being facetious, I think, but even so, I'm not sure what the motivation is here to state this. I don't buy that Jake Paul actually believes a local wrestling tournament is more competitive than the Olympic Games, and one is far more prestigious than the other. It's almost like he's bragging on his opponent, and if that's the case, why would he do that?
It's worth noting that Anthony Joshua's much-celebrated 2012 gold medal in boxing is not without controversy, with discussion amongst boxing fans that the win was a gift of sorts to his home country, the UK, hosting the Olympics. As BoxingScene.com pointed out, Joshua's first match against Cuba’s Erislandy Savon was widely viewed as controversial for the judges' scoring in his favor. The same was true in the final, in which he took on Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle.
If not that, perhaps this is a way to promote the fight further and highlight that it's the first time Jake Paul is entering as a massive underdog. Readers may remember that Paul received an official ranking on the WBA charts. After some controversy, the ranking was retracted, with critics on both sides arguing over whether it was fair.
Most experienced boxers will agree that Jake Paul has taken on plenty of notable fighters, but has been incredibly selective in who he'll fight. He's mainly taken on fighters who are substantially older, smaller, or less experienced in boxing than he is. Despite that, his bouts have been among the most talked-about boxing matches over the past couple of years. Shouldn't that count for something?
I'm sure Paul hopes that by accepting a fight with a skilled opponent, he's moving closer to securing his long-awaited dream of a championship fight. Win or lose, taking on what some might consider a "stunt fight" could be what it takes to sway critics and start taking him more seriously as a professional fighter.
Whatever the intention behind his posts is, I'm grateful and hype to watch Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua on Netflix on December 19th. I think, for the first time since I started watching this journey, I may even be rooting for Paul to see if he can come out on top this time.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
