The Prodigy and The Chosen One: Can Tyron Woodley Topple Jake Paul?
There is a buzz around Jake Paul and v his boxing career. Whether or not it’s the buzz of a promising career of a boxer/promoter or the buzz or unknowingly walking into a live hornet’s nest is subject to opinion. If you’ve been living under a rock, the YouTube-boxing sensation Jake Paul has his next fight: a boxing match with former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. It’s scheduled to take place in August and will be a Showtime pay per view event.
While Paul’s marketing ability is a powerhouse and is being fine tuned for boxing pay per views, many fans believe he is biting off more than he can chew with the former champion in Woodley. But is he?
Jake Paul: The Blueprint
Jake Paul has actually improved considerably as a boxer since his first pro fight against Gib. Since then, he’s knocked out Gib, Nate Robinson and Ben Askren to start his boxing career 3-0 with 3 knockouts. Paul has thrived off of his opponents making rookie mistakes, namely overhands and hands down. The most recent win of Paul’s, Askren, showcased the power that Jake Paul surprisingly possesses. He can knock you out. He’s clearly spent time training and uses sound mechanics for an athlete with such little time training.
It’s the mistakes that Paul thrives on. But, Jake Paul hasn’t faced someone as athletic as Tyron Woodley.
The Toolbox of Tyron Woodley
Tyron Woodley is a former wrestler out of Missouri. But that’s about where his similarities with Ben Askren stop. Woodley muddled his way through the UFC and Strikeforce rankings until he finally got his shot at the belt against Robbie Lawler. With an explosive right hand, Woodley has put away some of the best fighters in the UFC.
Where Tyron Woodley does particularly well on the feet is when his adversary is exiting on the center line. When Darren Till and Robbie Lawler exited to the rear in a straight line, Woodley connected. It wasn’t until fighters with more dynamic footwork that Woodley started to have problems. Covington, Burns and Usman drowned Woodley with pressure.
But, Tyron Woodley really has the opportunity to use his experience of being in actual fist fights that he has the chance to put Paul away. Should he draw Jake Paul into a lull and capitalize on the inexperience of Paul, having only 3 professional fights, Tyron Woodley can derail Paul’s hype by his loyal fan base.
How does Jake Paul win?
So it’s all about Jake Paul leading into this fight. But exactly how does he defeat a former UFC champion? First of all, he has the size advantage on Tyron Woodley. Jake Paul boxes in the 190 region and Woodley is 20 pounds lighter at 170. He has the height and reach advantage which is always important.
Next is Woodley’s age. The former champion is 39 years old. He’s taken some beatings in his last four fights, as he dropped to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington. But it was his last fight that has me concerned for Woodley. His final fight in the UFC was a knockout loss to Vicente Luque. At 39 years old and taken some damage.
In order for Jake Paul to win this fight, he will have to box, and box well. He will need to use his footwork to select his shots and not get into a firefight. He will have to especially make sure to not exit to the rear, especially early on. Dragging this fight into later rounds will also be an advantage for Paul, who is Tyron Woodley’s junior by almost 20 years.
The fight will take place in August and will once again make waves. Jake Paul will take on the former UFC welterweight champion and look to move on to 4-0. As for Tyron Woodley, he will make the biggest payday of his career and look to make his mark as the man who stopped Jake Paul. Can he get it done?
