We’ve just seen Jake Paul beat Iron Mike in a fight that left many fans yearning for something better. Fear not, I’m here to fill that void and recommend some incredible opponents for Paul to seriously consider. Paul stands to either make a lot of money or a earn ton of respect by taking on any of these opponents. Hell, there’s a chance that he could do both at the same time! I’ll give my reasoning as to why the fight makes sense, the likelihood of the match occurring, as well as the rationale for the likelihood.
Francis Ngannou
Now that Jake Paul has moved up a weight class to heavyweight, it is within the realm of possibility to put Jake Paul up against other heavyweights. The plus column items to fighting Ngannou are clear for Paul; Ngannou is over the age of 35, has a losing professional record as a boxer and spent his prime doing something besides boxing. Ngannou does not appear to have an opponent lined up and is no longer under contract with the UFC, thus there is no reason that Jake Paul cannot set this up logistically.
Verdict: lol fuck no
Why Not: Ngannou has long been known as one of the most terrifying punchers in the history of the UFC. Ngannou has also been able to perform nearly freakish feats of strength, such as easily lifting Shaquielle O’Neal. These have translated well into the boxing ring as Ngannou nearly beat Tyson Fury The Bogeyman checks under his bed each night for Francis Ngannou.
Jon Jones
Fresh off his win against Stipe Miocic, Jones has been threatening retirement from the UFC if he cannot have a superfight against middleweight champion Alex Perreira. Dana White does not seem to be willing to budge on this issue, thus Jones may need to follow through on his threat and retire from MMA (rather than fight Tom Aspinall). Jones meets a lot of Jake Paul’s requirements; over 35. not a trained boxer, no professional boxing experience.
Verdict: lol fuck no
Why Not: Jon Jones has long been propped up as one of the scariest combatants in all of combat sports, and it’s hard to deny that he would be a problem for Paul. While Jones is not known predominately for his boxing (see above), his incredible range and quickness would present quite a problem for the blonde influencer. Jones would be able to dictate where the fight would take place, and Paul would not have an answer for anything Jones could throw at him. Jake Paul has never dealt with anything like Jones.
Georges St. Pierre
Assuming jake Paul does not plan on staying at heavyweight and wants to return to his natural weight class, GSP is another fantastic choice. There is some precedent here, considering that Jake Paul has already fought Anderson Silva, so there should be no excuses as to why Paul cannot set this up. The Quebecois has long been retired from the UFC, does not have a professional boxing record, and is over the age of 40; these are all hard requirements for Jake Paul.
Verdict: lol fuck no
Why Not: GSP has put on some incredible boxing performances inside the octagon. One notable example was when he beat Josh Koscheck so badly that Koscheck’s eye was swollen shut halfway through the fight. GSP came back from a four-year absence to absolutely decimate then-champion Michael Bisping in a striking match. GSP has spent years training under Freddie Roach, the king-maker of boxing. Jake Paul wants an easy fight, and GSP would be anything but.
Cheavon Clarke
Many of you reading are likely asking Who the flying fuck is Cheavon Clarke? To be fair, that’s understandable since he has a limited social media presence. However, what Clarke lacks in limbic-hijacking, he makes up for in raw talent; Clarke made his professional debut two years ago and has been on a tear ever since. Clarke is now 10-0 as a professional and is currently the 7th ranked cruiserweight boxer in the world. A win over Clarke would forever silence the haters talking points of cherry-picked opponents/fights non-boxers/fights guys way outside their primes. Furthermore, a win over Clarke sets Paul up nicely for a potential world title fight.
Verdict: lol fuck no
Why Not: An actual ranked boxer? His own size? In his prime? Nope. Nope. And nope. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of Paul seriously even keeping pace with the former Olympian and British national champion. There’s also more to it; Clarke is a harsh and unforgiving mirror to Paul. Clarke represents what Paul easily could’ve been had the lottery-like success on the now-defunct Vine app never occurred. Jake Paul doesn’t want to even think about that life; toiling away as a broke nobody in rural Ohio…
Tommy Fury
The narrative would basically right itself; Jake Paul seeking revenge against his only loss. Jake Paul’s 14-year-old fan base would love nothing more than to see him triumph over the British prodigy. Fury has a bit of ring-rust right now, and is currently looking to shake a lot of that off with his upcoming bout against Darren Till. However, Jake Paul enjoys calling out fighters who are currently under contract, so that’s not a barrier for him.
Verdict: lol fuck no
Why Not: A trained boxer? His own age? Someone who actually beat him? Yeah, Jake Paul isn’t going to do any of that. As mentioned before, two losses is a death sentence, doubly so two losses to the same guy. Paul cannot risk that; bullet-proof narrative be damned.
I hope you’ve noticed a trend by now. In a way, Jake Paul’s absolute scariest opponent isn’t any of the fighters listed above. Instead, the opponent he fears the most is a Stanford psychology professor named Dr. Carol Dweck. Dweck, the author of Mindset, wrote extensively about the perils of having a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is someone who has a rigid idea of themselves in their mind, and hence will do whatever is necessary to protect that mental caricature. Thus, I’m a good boxer is incompatible with losing. Therefore, boxers with a fixed mindset will do whatever it takes to avoid losing; it shatters the mental image. If it’s one thing that the Paul brothers cherish, it’s image.
Paul ducks Dweck.
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