5 questions that will get answered when Jake Paul fights Tyron Woodley
It isn't easy to make heads or tails of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley. On the one hand, an experienced pro-fighter should easily handle a YouTube celebrity in a boxing match. On the other hand, Jake Paul has reminded us that the fight game is more nuanced than that.
During Paul's fight with retired NBA guard Nate Robinson, he shattered the notion that professional sportsmen can win fights through sheer athleticism. Against Ben Askren, Paul made it clear that mixed martial arts and boxing are two very different animals.
It's challenging to analyze where Jake Paul's career is headed. After all, he's the first of his kind in the sense that there's no one in sports history we can compare him to.
One thing is for sure, though. The clash between 'The Problem Child' and Tyron Woodley will help us better understand the Jake Paul phenomenon/anomaly. Listed below are five burning questions that will be answered when Jake Paul and 'The Chosen One' collide.
#5 How much does Tyron Woodley have left in the tank?
On August 28, Tyron Woodley will take on Jake Paul and Father Time in a handicap match. No doubt, the Tyron Woodley of old would smoke Jake Paul in a boxing match. But that version of T-Wood is long gone, and business-savvy Jake Paul fully understands that.
Since 2019, all Tyron Woodley has done is lose in the UFC. That's what made him a perfect target for Jake Paul. He's a big name with respected striking skills, but he's also watered down enough to the point where he's at a disadvantage against Jake Paul.
Don't believe so? Las Vegas oddsmakers do. Across multiple online sportsbooks, Jake Paul is opening as a -150 favorite, leaving Tyron Woodley as a +110 underdog.
Also read: The opening odds for Tyron Woodley vs Jake Paul are out - and they're going to annoy MMA fans
#4 Will fans finally respect Jake Paul if he wins?
When will fans start taking Jake Paul seriously? Perhaps after this one.
There are legitimate arguments to be made if the goal is to devalue Jake Paul's victories. His win against AnEsonGib (a nobody in combat sports) doesn't count for anything. Nate Robinson is way too inexperienced and way too small. Askren isn't a striker, not to mention he's too out of shape.
But Jake Paul deserves credit for fighting a more formidable opponent every time he returns to the ring. It's as if he's playing a video game that increases difficulty as he reaches the next level.
Using that analogy, however, Tyron Woodley isn't hard mode yet. It's still a mismatch in favor of Paul based on the merits of a traditional boxing match.
But Woodley isn't easy mode either. The 39-year-old possesses one-punch power that can put Paul away at any given point of the fight. That's something Paul hasn't had to deal with in his previous bouts.
Also read: What would a victory over Tyron Woodley mean for Jake Paul's career?
#3 Is there much of a difference between Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren?
![Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren [Photo credit: @benaskren on Instragram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/06/d9fab-16227030643833-800.jpg)
"Woodley is not much different than Ben Askren." That hot take was put forth by controversial taking-head Stephen A. Smith. It's exceedingly hard to take the statement seriously, especially because it came from the same man who believed Deontay Wilder would knock Tyson Fury out easily.
If you'd ask Robbie Lawler, a fighter who's very much acquainted with both Woodley and Askren, he'd probably say there's a world of difference between the two. He lost to both of them, but under entirely different circumstances. (Woodley defeated Lawler by TKO while Askren scored a controversial submission against him).
As difficult as it is to admit, Stephen A. might have a point on this one. Granted, Woodley does have knockout power, unlike his former teammate. But just like Askren, he's also a wrestling-based fighter who uses the threat of his takedowns to set up his power shots.
Only time will tell, though, if Tyron Woodley suffers the same fate as his longtime friend.
#2 What next for Jake Paul?
Jake Paul has a formula that works for him. The most likely scenario is that he'll continue to pick fights with undersized, over-the-hill cage fighters so he can troll the MMA community by bragging about his success.
'The Problem Child' could also take a more daunting route. One that involves fighting legitimate boxers, similar to what his older brother Logan is doing.
But that's if he wins. And that's a big if.
Should Jake Paul lose, it would be interesting to see how he and his PR team try to maneuver out of a precarious situation.
#1 Is this the future of combat sports?
Win or lose, Jake Paul has already inspired a new generation of social media influencers to get involved in the world of combat sports. Do you think this circus begins and ends with the Paul brothers? A few YouTubers and TikTokers might have something to say about that.
That's not to say that random people from YouTube can turn into the next Jake Paul. But what fight promoters now know is that there's much money to be made in these non-traditional fights.
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