Initially, Jake Paul was set to fight Gervonta “Tank” Davis on November 14, but that match was cancelled due to Tank’s off-the-ring issues. Paul was then left scrambling for a last-minute opponent.
He considered several different options in Nate Diaz, Ryan Garcia, Terence Crawford, and Francis Ngannou before finally arriving at Anthony Joshua. His first true heavyweight challenge had a stipulation of Joshua having to weigh no more than 245 pounds at the weigh-in. He successfully met the condition by weighing in at 243.4 pounds at yesterday’s weigh-in.
Jake Paul weighed significantly lighter at 216.6 pounds. With the difference in size and strength, it would appear Jake is looking to utilize the entire 22 by 22 ring in an attempt to box Joshua by controlling the distance.
Anthony is technically the better boxer and has a 6-inch reach advantage. Paul will look to use his legs to evade Joshua’s offensive attack and minimize the damage he sustains.
During the lead-up to his scheduled match against Tank, Jake took on sparring partners he thought would best prepare him for the smaller opponent. One of those sparring partners was super featherweight boxer Raymond Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs).
When asked who he believes will win the match between Paul and Joshua, Ford said, “I have Jake Paul by knockout.” Ford believes Paul’s best punch is his jab and that he possesses real skill to compete against Anthony.
Whether Ford’s assessment of Paul is a little generous or an accurate representation of his skill remains to be seen. When Jake changed opponents to a bigger, stronger fighter, he had to change his training regime in terms of sparring partners. He turned to sparring real heavyweights in Jared Anderson, Frank Sanchez, and Lawrence Okolie.
He’s had tough sessions with all of them, but neither of them is as accomplished as Joshua. Paul is to be commended for attempting to do the impossible, but can he truly survive a 24-minute match with Anthony? Rolando “Rolly” Romero has been present for all the week’s festivities, and he believes in Paul.
When asked who he believes will win? Rolly answered, “I got Jake Paul.” Rolly believes Jake will win by plot arm. The meaning of the plot arm is that the main character is allowed to survive dangerous situations because they are needed for the plot to continue.
This underlying meaning could potentially point towards the victory Jake could obtain if he survives the eight rounds against Joshua.
Nobody expects him to win, but surviving the match itself could be a victory, as surviving more than two rounds would shock the boxing world.
