As if there isn’t enough hype surrounding the two YouTube celebrity brothers, Logan Paul appearing at WrestleMania 37 was not only great publicity for himself and WWE, it also helps to keep his younger sibling in the headlines. Jake Paul will take on former MMA star Ben Askren just a week later, aiming to win the third bout of his professional boxing career.
Although his previous bouts were against fellow online celebrities, 24-year-old Jake Paul now faces a rival with years of professional combat experience. Although 36-year-old Ben Askren has never boxed professionally before now, he should pose a serious challenge, having worked with top-quality trainers over the last couple of months.
While there was plenty of smack-talk between the pair via social media, they eventually agreed to set up a boxing match. The bout was officially announced in December 2020, then scheduled to take place at the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia. Having generated huge interest, the latest Jake Paul vs Ben Askren odds indicate a close contest.
Despite the fact that Jake Paul is the slight 4/5 favorite, given that Ben Askren has been working hard on his boxing skills, he has been given evens odds for the April 17 bout. Amidst some speculation that Ben Askren might fight dirty, using some tricks from his wrestling and mixed martial arts repertoire, Jake Paul has been tipped to win via disqualification of his rival.
Speaking with TalkSport recently, Tri-Star Gym head coach Firas Zahabi hinted that Ben Askren won’t care if he gets disqualified if there’s no clause that he doesn’t get paid if that happens. Nevertheless, the boxing trainer insists that Jake Paul may have underestimated his next opponent, hinting that he could run out of energy against the man known as ‘Funky’ in MMA.
Jake Paul won his first two professional boxing matches with early knockouts. The debut bout resulted in a first-round TKO against AnEsonGib, a fellow YouTube celebrity more famed for hosting online FIFA gaming streams. The second bout resulted in a second-round KO win against Nate Robinson, a former basketball player, as part of the Mike Tyson versus Roy Jones Jr. exhibition undercard.
Without having yet gone the distance, there is no telling how Jake Paul will fare against a seasoned mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. Ben Askren rose to fame as a champion NCAA wrestler, who also represented the USA Olympic Freestyle Wrestling team. That provided the springboard for his largely successful MMA career.
Ben Askren won the Bellator Welterweight Championship, then switched promotions to claim the ONE Championship title in the same weight division. Having remained unbeaten throughout his professional career, Ben Askren then debuted at UFC 235, beating Robbie Lawler with a bulldog choke, extending his undefeated MMA record to 19 fights.
Jorge Masvidal then destroyed Ben Askren at UFC 239 with a flying knee, resulting in a KO after just five seconds. The next UFC bout fared little better when was beaten by Demian Maia and subsequently announced his MMA retirement. Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity for Ben Askren to show he can box, and silence the always boastful Jake Paul, once and for all.
