November 22nd 2024.
In his latest Metro column, heavyweight contender and Olympian Frazer Clarke expresses his concerns about the direction of boxing, as more and more legitimate world champions are lining up to fight social media star Jake Paul. Clarke, like many others, was disheartened and saddened watching Paul defeat Mike Tyson in their recent exhibition match. He couldn't help but think that it was a sad and unnecessary event that could have ended badly for the 58-year-old Tyson. However, Clarke does acknowledge Paul's decision to ease up towards the end of the fight, preventing any serious injuries.
But now, it seems like everyone wants to challenge Paul for the fame and fortune that comes with it. Even IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has expressed interest in fighting him, which is disappointing to see. But as Clarke points out, boxing has become more money-driven and it's hard to blame these fighters for wanting a piece of the pie. Dubois, who just two months ago put on a stellar performance to defeat Anthony Joshua, knows the potential benefits of fighting Paul.
But as a self-proclaimed "boxing purist," Clarke believes that the legends of the sport like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard would be turning in their graves at the thought of someone like Paul being idolized by young fans. The kids today don't aspire to be like the greats of the past, they want to be like Jake Paul. And that's where the problem lies. Boxing needs to take a stand against this trend, but Clarke is not sure how realistic that is. Paul is not even ranked with the IBF and has never fought a ranked opponent, let alone a heavyweight. It would be a kick in the teeth for any fighter who has worked their way up the rankings if Paul were to receive a shot at the world champion title.
Clarke believes that it's only a matter of time before boxing has to make a stand against this type of exhibition-style fight. As much as he understands the financial incentives for those involved, he can't help but see the right and wrong in this situation. It would be beyond wrong to see someone like Paul, who has never fought a professional boxer, take on the current heavyweight champion. And as much as people may be unhappy with it, the attitude in the sport now is "if you don't like it, lump it." Just like no one could do anything to stop the Tyson vs Paul fight, no one may be able to stop this potential match-up between Dubois and Paul.
Speaking of Dubois, Clarke mentions that he knocked out Joshua just two months ago, solidifying his position as the IBF heavyweight champion. And while Dubois has a big fight coming up in February, it's not going to be the highly-anticipated rematch with Joshua. Rumors are circulating about a potential fight with Joseph Parker, which would be a great matchup. But the thought of Dubois fighting Jake Paul is not something Clarke wants to entertain.
Clarke admits that he feels disheartened about the current state of boxing, but he also understands that he can't be a hypocrite about it. As much as he disagrees with it, if he were offered the opportunity to fight someone like Paul for a large sum of money, it would be hard to turn it down. And he knows that there will always be someone else willing to take that chance. The top boxers in the world, like Artur Beterbiev and Dubois, have already expressed interest in fighting Paul, and even the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury may consider it. So who is Clarke to say that it's wrong?
While Clarke may not have been a fan of the Tyson vs Paul fight, he acknowledges that it was a huge event. But for him, the real fight of the night was between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. He believes that this fight was a true display of top-quality boxing, and any fighter, regardless of age or gender, can learn from it. It was a hard and competitive match, with many twists and turns, but both fighters showed their class. Clarke praises Taylor as the best female fighter in the world, and while there may have been some rough tactics used, he knows that it's all part of the fight game. At the end of the day, Taylor knows how to win, and that's what she did.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
