Jake Paul sends a message to the critics ahead of his boxing match with Ben Askren.
We’re now just days away from Jake Paul’s eight-round boxing match Ben Askren at Triller Fight Club in Atlanta, and Paul has a message to the doubters.
The YouTuber has been putting in the rounds in sparring and believes the armchair MMA and boxing critics have no idea what he’s truly capable of, claiming that he has the power to put Askren away on April 17.
“I think it’s hilarious,” Paul told True Geordie in a recent interview (h/t MMA Fighting). “Again, I have the ace up my sleeve and these guys don’t know what I’m capable of. They don’t know how hard I can hit.”
“Sure, Ben has a great chin, he’s been hit by Robbie Lawler a couple of times but this guy is coming off of a knockout, coming off of a loss and to sit here and think that this old guy Ben Askren – for people to say he has better cardio than me or that I’m gonna get tired is absolutely hilarious. Ben Askren can’t work as hard as me in one practice. My one practice is harder than his whole entire training camp.”
Paul has scored highlight reel KO’s against YouTuber AnEsonGib — real name Ali Loui Al-Fakhri — and NBA player Nate Robinson, but this will be his first test against a professional fighter. Paul respects Askren as a competitor but claims the boxing novice is in for a rude awakening on Saturday.
“I believe he’s gonna be tough but at the end of the day this is boxing and he can’t take me down after I start cracking him,” he said. “He can try and come in and clinch me, he can try and hold on but he’s gonna get warned for that right off the bat. You can’t just hold onto people in boxing. It’s a very different sport than MMA and anyone who truly understands both sports should understand that…
“Actions speak louder than words and I’m just gonna prove it to people… You guys are in for a rude awakening. You’re gonna see.”
Askren vs. Paul takes place this Saturday, April 17 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.