Fightin' Words: Jake Paul win vs. Anderson Silva underscores why boxing should embrace 'The Problem Child'

Daniel Yanofsky

Fightin' Words: Jake Paul win vs. Anderson Silva underscores why boxing should embrace 'The Problem Child' image

Jake Paul was told he needed to fight a good opponent in the boxing ring. He did. Paul was also told he had to beat Anderson Silva. He did. 

Still, Paul hasn't seem to have gotten any recognition for what he accomplished on October 29 against Silva. 

Were the scores too wide in favor of Paul? Was the fight rigged, as per the thoughts of the internet? None of that matters due to the overall outcome and the fact that Paul knocked Silva down. You may not agree with the decision, but it wasn't a robbery. 

Regardless, Jake Paul should be taken seriously as a boxer. 

Paul has shown improvement as a fighter since he fought AnEsonGib. He faced someone in Silva, who beat former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. It was Paul's third time competing against an MMA fighter, but it was a significant boost in competition. “The Problem Child” has a long way to go, but there is no denying his skills. 

The Silva fight was only Paul’s sixth fight. Look at BoxRec and search who your favorite fighters competed against in their sixth fight. Manny Pacquiao? Julio Cesar Chavez? Fans want to see Paul face an actual boxer. Some that do just want to see him fail. 

Paul is helping the community in his own unique way. He has brought eyes to the sport, which has issues outside of Paul. There are complaints about Paul, but there are bigger complaints fans can make in boxing, like Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford not fighting one another. What about an undisputed heavyweight title fight? Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis? 

On this episode of Fightin’ Words, The Sporting News' Andreas Hale discusses why you should leave Jake Paul alone. Like other YouTuber's in the sport, it appears that Paul is here to stay in boxing, whether you like it or not. 

MORE: 

Daniel Yanofsky