Jake Paul will take on the toughest challenge of his young combat sports career later tonight (Sat., Oct. 29, 2022), squaring off against former Middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, in a Cruiserweight (185 pounds) boxing match inside Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., streaming live on Fite.TV / SHOWTIME pay-per-view (PPV).
What’s Hot:
Much All of the talk surrounding Jake Paul’s boxing career is that “The Problem Child” has handpicked opponents to pad his record — while making a mockery of the sport — just to enhance his brand … and his bank account. And it’s been working because he is cashing fat checks while collecting knockouts. But, flattening Nate Robinson isn’t exactly a feather any true world-class combatant would want to have on their cap. He upped his game by knocking out Ben Askren, though it’s not like “Funky” was a standup specialist at any point in his career. Some gave Paul credit when he slept the former UFC Welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, but others were quick to say the fix was in or that Paul once again picked a fighter going downhill, which “The Chosen One” kind of was. Now, he will face the biggest combat name in his career in Anderson Silva. But, let’s be real, he’s not fighting that Anderson Silva. He’s not fighting the knockout artist who made Forrest Griffin look silly, the one who won 16 straight UFC fights and defended the Middleweight strap 10 times, the one who knocked out the likes of Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen, among others.
No, that Silva is long gone.
He will be fighting, however, the man who lost seven of his last nine UFC fights, and who won just one fight in an eight-year span to end his once-storied combat career. And let’s not forget: Silva is 47 years old and is well past the prime of his career. That’s the problem I have with this fight. Once again Paul is being very meticulous when it comes to his opponents. But, what else should we expect? While Paul does have boxing skills and has been working hard to improve, he isn’t going to face a world-class fighter in his prime anytime soon because at the end of the day it’s all for show.
In short, Paul is fighting the name that is Anderson Silva, which is attached to memorable highlight reel knockouts that haven’t happened in more than one decade. All of that said, people will still tune in, Paul and Silva will still get paid and the event overall will make a lot of money for all parties involved. And that’s good for them and the sport of boxing because while many involved in the sweet science hate on “The Problem Child,” he is bringing more eyes to the sport and to them, essentially.
What Not:
Ashton Sylve — an 18-year old rising star — will put his undefeated record (7-0) on the line when he tangos with Braulio Rodriguez, who is just 1-2 in his professional career and has a knockout loss at the hands of Ryan Garcia. Sylve has won all of his fights via knockout, three of them in the first round. On paper, this simply looks like it’s meant to be a showcase fight for Sylve.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
In the Heavyweight division, Jeremiah Milton will face Quintin Sumpter in what is sure-to-be a hard-hitting affair. Milton won the silver medal in the 2020 Olympic trials and is undefeated (6-0) so far as a professional with five knockouts. Against Sumpter, he will be facing a young up-and-comer who is out to make the most of his opportunity after winning his first five pro fights.
In women’s action, long-time pro, Ogleidis Suarez, will take on Shadasia Green. Suarez is 30-4-1 and has won nine of her last 10 fights. Green is currently 10-0 and has been a professional for just three years. In that span, she has proven to be a legit up-and-comer and eyes a big notch on her belt with a a win over an established veteran like Suarez.
Danny Barrios Flores and Edgar Ortiz Jr. will collide in a super Bantamweight bout. Flores, 24, is undefeated (10-0), while Ortiz Jr. has had a rough stretch as of late, fighting to a few draws and then a loss in his last fight over his last three contests.
Adrian Rodriquez — who is from Glendale — will battle Dominique Griffin, also at Super Bantamweight. Rodriguez is a teammate of the aforementioned Flores, so they will be sharing the stage together once again. This fight seems like it was put together to give the hometown homies some love and shine because Griffin is just 1-2-1 in his professional career, while Rodriguez is 2-0 in his young career. MMA fighter, Eliezer Silva, is out to improve to 2-0 in boxing when he battles Anthony Hannah, who is 3-4 and on a three-fight losing streak.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
As mentioned earlier, Silva’s departure from mixed martial arts (MMA) wasn’t a glorious one because he left on a horrid losing streak. That said, he is 3-1 as a boxer and does have a huge win over Julio Cesar Chavez, and also knocked out Tito Ortiz in a joke of a fight. But, Silva needs a big win here to not only prevent his legacy from taking a hit by losing to a YouTube — which at one point in his career seemed impossible. Because should Silva lose in embarrassing fashion his legacy may not recover. After all, who could have ever imagined the man many hailed as the greatest MMA fighter of all time come up short against a guy who hasn’t been training combat sports all that long.
Interest Level 7 of 10:
Let’s face it, you are intrigued by this fight even if you’re not a fan of Paul and what he’s been doing. Heck, I despite my earlier rant, I’m still going to watch. And the “circus” will have some other boxing matches on the PPV main card to curb your appetite before the main course.
Nate Diaz protege, Chris Avila, will take part in his third professional bout when he battles Dr. Mike Varshavski. That’s right, his foe is a primary care physician making his professional boxing debut. He was names “Sexiest Doctor Alive” by People magazine in 2015.
And while the ladies may love him, he may make a fan out of you bases on this quote.
“I’m not doing this to gain some popularity,” he said in an interview with Boxing Scene. “I’m not making a buck because I’m donating my entire fighter pay to the Harlem Boys & Girls Club. It’s strictly because I love this. I wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to live to the top of my potential.”
And in one of the more intriguing fights of the night, former UFC star, Uriah Hall, will take on ex-NFL running back-turned boxer, Le’Veon Bell. This will be Hall’s first fight since retiring from MMA earlier this year. It will also be his professional boxing debut. As for Bell, he was last seen knocking out fellow former football player, Adrian Peterson, in an exhibition bout (see it again here). So, this will be Bell’s official professional debut. On paper, you’d think the pro fighter would cream the NFL star, but this is all a circus and these days you just never know what will transpire, so just sit back and enjoy the show.
Full Paul vs. Silva Fight Card:
Main Event:
Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva
FITE.tv / Showtime PPV Main Card:
Ashton Sylve vs. Braulio Rodriguez
Alexandro Santiago vs. Antonio Nieves
Uriah Hall vs. Le’Veon Bell
Chris Avila vs. Dr. Mike Varshavski
Showtime Streaming ‘Prelims’ Under Card:
Jeremiah Milton vs. Quintin Sumpter
Ogleidis Suarez vs. Shadasia Green
Danny Barrios Flores vs. Edgar Ortiz Jr.
Adrian Rodriquez vs. Dominique Griffin
Eliezer Silva vs. Anthony Hannah
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the ‘Paul vs. Silva’ PPV main card right HERE. The $59.99 FITE.TV/Showtime PPV kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, with Paul and Silva likely to make the walk closer to midnight.