If you’re privy to the happenings in the boxing world, you’d know that Jake Paul has sparked a slew of controversies in recent times. “De La Hoya tells Jake Paul stop fighting old guys!” Yes, you read that right. Oscar De La Hoya, the veteran boxing legend and Olympic gold-medalist hailing from the United States, has spoken out against the 24-year-old YouTube star turned professional boxer.
Jake Paul has been facing considerable criticism for his match selections, lining up against retired or older athletes. Right from his professional debut in January 2020 against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib (Ali Loui Al-Fakhri), he has ventured into matches against former professional athletes well beyond their prime. His most recent bout was against the retired 39-year-old MMA fighter Ben Askren, whom Paul knocked out inside the opening two minutes.
De La Hoya, who himself is in training for his July 3 comeback after over a decade of retirement, was quite candid about his feelings on Paul’s choice of opponents. “I have respect for what he’s trying to do but stop fighting retired guys, stop fighting old guys,” he said. De La Hoya urged Paul to take on stronger opponents, ones who are still raring in the field, to really establish his seriousness and credibility in the boxing domain.
Jake Paul has helped bring celebrity exhibition matches into mainstream boxing, but the naysayers argue that matching him with retired or aging athletes isn’t doing justice to the sport. It’s become a common belief in the boxing industry that anyone can become a champion by picking out weak or retired opponents, thanks to Jake Paul’s fights.
However, it’s important to note that Paul is only two years into his boxing career. He’s obviously using the fight-choices as a part of his marketing strategy to attract maximum eyeballs to his fights. The strategy seems to be working, given the commercial success his fights have been seeing. All his pro-fights so far, against AnEsonGib, Nate Robinson, and Ben Askren, have ended in knockouts, signaling his growing skills in the ring.
While critics like De La Hoya would rather see him fight seasoned boxers, they are not entirely dismissive of his boxing skills. Oscar did clarify that his statement was in no way meant to belittle Jake’s promising start to the sport, rather to encourage him to go against in-form athletes. Critics believe this is the only way to estimate where he stands in the boxing field.
Jake Paul’s choice of opponents might raise eyebrows, and criticism like those coming from a decorated and experienced hand such as De La Hoya does make a sound argument. However, with the growing commercial success and excitement that these “improper matchmaking” celebrity fights are creating, it’s hard to see these YouTube influencers turned boxers like Jake Paul moving away from their profit-driven path anytime soon.
In the end, it’s up to the audiences and the buying power they hold. Jake Paul’s boxing career is still in its infancy and the public’s fascination with his career and the spectacle he creates with each of his fights is unlikely to wane soon. As the saying goes, the customer is king, and as long as they are willing to pay to watch Jake Paul’s fights, the saga is far from over.
