After dedicating himself to boxing, Jake Paul painted a target on his back, and very few of his fellow fighters were fond of his presence in the sport. Less than six years on from his pro debut, the narrative surrounding the social media influencer is beginning to shift, with more people taking notice and crediting his ability each time he laces up the gloves.
Many now believe ‘The Problem Child’ deserves more credit than he is currently receiving from fans and fighters alike. One of those siding giving the YouTuber his flowers is WBC World Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
Stevenson had the honor of attending Paul’s training camp in October, managing to spar for a solid seven rounds with the 28-year-old.
Speaking on Jake Paul’s career surge, Shakur Stevenson highlighted Paul’s skill set and encouraged fans not to discredit the work Paul has put in.
“We sparred. We sparred,” Stevenson revealed of his time spent with Jake Paul. “I came down there and we did, what was it, six, seven rounds. We got in the ring and we sparred.”
“It’s crazy because I think Jake is better than people would even understand. A lot of people don’t think he’s as good because he started so late. So, it’s like, you don’t know how good he really could be if he started earlier.”
The doubt continues to cloud Jake Paul’s boxing career, with many still suspicious of his fight outcomes.
While it may take some time for the rigged allegations to lose traction, Shakur Stevenson considers Paul a true boxer. Stevenson was complimentary of Paul for surrounding himself with the right team and listening to the instructions they fired at him during the pair’s sparring session a little over a month ago.
“But, you could tell he’s taking the craft serious. He’s locking in and doing training camps and got the right team around him, got the coaches around him. He’s better than what you would think.”
“Yeah, I was impressed, for sure. Yeah, I was surprised because I thought, like, when you think a guy coming from YouTube, you’re like, ‘Okay, this guy don’t know nothing.’ But, you could tell he had a good coach in his corner who’s telling him the right things.”
“He’s listening to the right things, and then he’s not bad. Like, he’s just not a bad fighter. His instinct is to not get beat up or not get hit. I was surprised by it, for sure.”
Jake Paul’s approach and work in the gym are beginning to pay off. The wins are starting to flow, and he looks more impressive each time he competes.
However, his next outing will see him go up against a man who is likely to be the toughest task he may ever face in his career.
Related: Jake Paul admits his next fight ‘scares him’
On December 19, Jake Paul will stand across the ring from British superstar and violent knockout artist Anthony Joshua. The former boxing world heavyweight champion accepted a short-notice affair against Paul and is insistent on taking his inexperienced opponent seriously when they collide on Friday.
No matter how good he has looked leading up to this fight, Jake Paul stands no chance against Anthony Joshua, claims Shakur Stevenson.
“[Will Jake Paul beat Anthony Joshua?] Hell no,” Stevenson said. “Hell no. AJ is a boxer. There’s no way AJ should let Jake win that fight. I don’t see how he will let Jake win.”
“I think AJ should get the win. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but I mean, if you got all of that weight on you, he should go out there and beat Jake.”
“I don’t think it’ll be a knock on Jake’s game. I think Jake, as long as he don’t get knocked out, as long as he stays on his P’s and Q’s in there, I think he should be okay.”
“If I was betting money on it, I would bet that he’s not getting knocked out in one round.”