By: Sean Crose

They said that 2017’s Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor boxing match would be as quickly forgotten as it was lucrative. And, in a very real sense, they were right. The fight between the most famous boxer and most famous mixed martial artist went down pretty much as analysts of both sports thought it would – with McGregor fighting gamely, but ultimately being unable to best Mayweather in Mayweather’s own sport. No harm, no foul. Lots of money was made for everyone involved, and non-fight fans seemed to have been satisfied with the pay per view event. Again, it was a cash grab, not a battle for the ages.

Yet the bout clearly had an impact. Ask yourself this, would Jake Paul, perhaps the most popular fighter on earth (that includes both boxing and MMA), be the incredible success story he is had Floyd and Conor not first paved the way for novelty bouts? The truth of the matter is that Mayweather-McGregor may not have been memorable, but it was certainly influential. Which brings us back to Paul. He’s set to rematch former UFC great Tyrone Woodley this weekend in Tampa. Although Paul’s never fought a pro boxer, there’s little doubt that Woodley is a solid opponent for him.

In fact, Woodley gave Paul all he could handle when they met in the ring earlier this year. The 4-0 Paul pulled off the win, but he looked gassed and uneasy as the fight wore on. Here’s the thing with Paul, though: The man takes boxing seriously. It’s more than a game to him. He markets hard, but he also trains hard. What’s more, he’s got natural power. Like it or not, Jake Paul can turn out the lights. Perhaps that’s why he now says he wants to move on to face pound for pound star Canelo Alvarez in the future.

‘I will fight Canelo 100 per cent,” the Daily Mirror quotes Paul as saying. “Look at this guy Avni Yildirim… he sat down in the corner and quit. He didn’t throw a punch.” Paul brushes aside the assertion that he’s too inexperienced to face the man many now consider the best fighter on earth. “It’s not about how long you’ve been doing something,” he said. “It’s about how right you have been doing it.” It’s doubtful Canelo will feel Paul has proven himself worthy of a shot at him. Mayweather was retired when he agreed to face Paul. Canelo is currently fighting for glory and legacy.

Then again, one never knows. This is boxing, after all.

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