"Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou" - Former UFC champion makes eye-opening remark about boxing's future on Netflix
Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou may be the fight to book moving forward, at least according to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. On the latest installment of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, the duo discussed the potential for a boxing match between Paul and Ngannou.
They touched on Netflix's role in the future of boxing, believing that the streaming platform should reserve its services for high-profile, one-of-a-kind events. That is when they mentioned a hypothetical matchup between Ngannou and Paul. Usman said:
"For boxing events, I would say yeah, you could do a boxing event. But it has to be a special boxing event, it can't just be, 'Oh, you wanna have Friday Night fights on Netflix.' No, I don't think that makes any sense. I think definitely events like this, one-off special events I think does well. I think Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou, Netflix, I think that does well. I think maybe Jake Paul vs. Kamaru Usman."
Check out Kamaru Usman speculating on Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou (15:46):
Netflix enjoyed unprecedented success in the wake of 'The Problem Child's' bout with Mike Tyson, who he defeated via unanimous decision. Unfortunately, Netflix was plagued by a variety of technical issues while streaming the event, with many reporting random quality dips of the feed, forced logouts, and more.
With Usman's suggestion, it would be sensible for Netflix to focus on improving its servers for future livestreaming and reserve the novelty of it for big fights that can draw the attention of fans.
A Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou fight already has a built-in narrative
Mike Tyson is Francis Ngannou's combat sports idol, so when the 58-year-old heavyweight boxing legend lost to Jake Paul via unanimous decision, he took to X to threaten 'The Problem Child' with a slap.
Naturally, Paul jabbed back at him, taunting him over his status as the world's best heavyweight.
"Clout chasing doesn't suit you legend. Maybe Jon Jones is the better heavyweight after all"
When asked about facing Paul in a boxing match, Ngannou was dismissive, feeling that 'The Problem Child' is beneath him. However, he could change his mind if a large enough check is offered.