Jake Paul is getting a good deal of respect for agreeing to face a legit fighter in Hasim Rahman Junior in his next fight, the fight set as you know for August 6, a pay-per-view offering (the fight to take place inside the hallowed confines of Madison Square Garden, no less). And like him or not, Paul (along with his bro) has an army of followers and he brings fans, casuals, whatever, to the sport. The more eyeballs on the sport of boxing the better, yeah?
So, are YOU interested in the Paul-Rahman fight that will take place at a catch-weight of 200 pounds (the recent story of how Paul will supposedly want a “private” weigh-in raising eyebrows)?
Again, at least the 5-0 Paul is fighting a legit fighter; a man who had a stellar amateur career, who has sparred many big names, and who has had 13 pro fights. These two also have something of a history in as much as they sparred some time back. Today, Rahman says he never let his best stuff go in the spar (or spars; I’m too lazy to check) and that if Paul thinks he did, he will be in for a “rude awakening” on August 6.
Rahman has said he will give Paul a beating and that he will KO him. Maybe he will, maybe he should. There could be a stiff rehydration clause in the contract that may or may not affect the sometimes 224-pound Rahman, but even if he’s drained, shouldn’t Rahman defeat Paul? Again, do you even care?
The sport sure has changed in recent times, and fights like this one, along with big-name exhibition bouts, can and do pull in a far bigger audience than special fights (case in point, today’s junior-bantamweight rematch between the excellent Kazuto Ioka and the also brilliant Donnie Nietes, this a fight that has enjoyed barely a fraction of the attention the Paul-Rahman fight has got).
Some say attention is attention, and more fans is just that: more fans. Others, purists if you like, are aghast at this kind of “special attraction fights.”
Paul-Rahman WILL do big numbers at the Box Office, and who knows, it might even prove to be a good, enjoyable fight. Who has more to lose? Rahman, surely. But again, for a third time – do You care?
