Paul vs Woodley - Aug 29/The rematch - Dec 18 🇺🇸 🥊

[wandshogun09]

Right then. Sunday the 29th in Cleveland. Bank Holiday weekend so you can stay up and get this lot down you.

SHOWTIME PPV CARD 
Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley

Amanda Serrano vs Yamileth Mercado - WBC, WBO & IBO World Featherweight Titles

Tommy Fury vs Anthony Taylor 

Daniel Dubois vs Joe Cusumano

Ivan Barancyhk vs Montana Love

Charles Conwell vs Lucas Bastida 

Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley then. Interesting one, to be fair. For all the stick the Pauls have gotten since deciding to invade the Boxing world, it’s worth remembering that they’re both still only a few fights in. The cards they’ve appeared on have mostly had that circus feel but when I hear people go ‘they’re fighting nobodies’, I don’t really get that as a criticism. Jake’s had 3 fights, Logan’s had 2. How many ‘legit’ boxers fight strong opposition that early into their careers? These two divs have just found a way to make that part of their career very lucrative because of the following they came in with. There are a lot of things to dislike about them but you can’t knock them for that. And besides, Logan fought Floyd Mayweather last time. And now Jake’s fighting Woodley. Again, very early into their careers. If anything, they’re facing tougher opposition than most boxers do when they first start out. Anyway, this is what I’d consider the first proper test for Jake Paul.

Yeah, Woodley’s 39 years old and coming off 4 straight losses in the UFC. He hasn’t won a fight since September 2018. This isn’t prime Woodley. But at the same time, those 4 losses were at the very top of the game in MMA. You look at the names that beat him - Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque. All top Welterweights at the peak of their powers. And he was looking dangerous in that Luque fight in March before getting caught in a submission. So while Woodley’s definitely dropped out of that elite level, it wasn’t that long ago he was being talked about as one of the best in the world. Wins over Darren Till, Demian Maia, Wonderboy Thompson, Robbie Lawler, Kelvin Gastelum, Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, Paul Daley…he’s done a lot. Different sport or not, he’s got that big match experience, has competed at a high level and won titles against the best in his field for well over a decade. And while he’s making the switch late, he does have some attributes that could translate pretty well in Boxing.

He’s been training with Mayweather for this fight. Not sure how much that’s gonna effect things at this stage. Woodley’s going to be pretty set in his ways now. But it can’t hurt. Floyd offered to train him, he’d be a fool to turn that down. How many guys making their Pro Boxing debut get that opportunity?

As for Paul, like I said this’ll be his 4th fight and he’s yet to go past the second round. Boxing, MMA, whatever. He’s giving up a lot of fight experience here. So you’ve got to give him some credit for this. It’s not an easy fight despite Woodley being 15 years older. Easily the most risky fight he’ll have been in to date. So far he’s knocked out someone or something called AnEsonGib (Partridge shrug), who’s a fellow YouTuber apparently. Then he walloped that Basketball player Nate Robinson. Then he faced Ben Askren in April and…

Chinned him in 2 minutes. I haven’t forgotten some acting like Askren would win that fight, which was laughable to me. Askren was always a woeful striker in MMA. He was a really good amateur wrestler who was past his best, had been retired from MMA for nearly 2 years and had undergone double hip surgery. He was coming back for a payday and nothing else. I don’t even think he really expected to win. He couldn’t have looked less arsed walking to the dressing room after the loss with his wife, beaming smiles on the both of them. The cool little twist here though is that Woodley and Askren are close friends, going back years to their amateur wresting days.

They go way back. So this fight also has that extra little element of revenge to it. There was also a bit of needle involving Woodley when Askren fought Paul as well. He was there to corner Askren and when he went to the Paul locker room before the fight to observe the hand wrapping, gloving up process (as is customary in Boxing), Paul’s cornerman/cheerleader J’Leon Love was giving him some shit.

I really wanted Woodley to smack him but I’m glad nothing happened because it wasn’t worth it. This is a big payday for Woodley. By all accounts he’s getting a career-high purse for this, which is cool but sad at the same time. Here’s a guy who was at the pinnacle of his weight class in the biggest MMA promotion in the world, and he’s got to box a YouTuber to bank his biggest cheque at nearly 40 years old. Jake Paul’s been very vocal about MMA pay himself in recent months, to the point it’s pretty much turned him babyface with a lot of people who previously disliked him. I still think he’s a massive twat myself but I can’t disagree with his stance on fighter pay and Dana’s greed. Whatever his motives are for talking about it, it can only be a positive when someone of his visibility and reach is putting light on the subject.

That’s just one of many quotes from him on the matter. He’s even claiming that he’s turned down a higher purse himself for this Woodley fight so that the fighters on the undercard can get a bigger piece of the pie. Don’t know how true that is but if it is, it’s a cool gesture.

Paul left Triller after the Askren fight, this’ll be his first fight under the Showtime banner. It’s scheduled for 8 rounds and from what I’m reading it should kick off around 4am UK time. Don’t think there’s been an announcement of any UK broadcaster picking it up yet, probably end up on that FITE bollocks.

Haven’t watched this myself yet but here’s the All Access episode;

I’m actually more into this than I thought I’d be. If Paul deals with Woodley the way he’s dealt with his easy first 3 fights then it won’t tell us he’s a high level boxer but it will still be a lot more impressive than those 3 wins combined. Woodley at least has the capability to hurt him, which makes this fight a thousand times more interesting than the Askren sideshow where there was zero risk really. Woodley’s got enough speed and power and enough experience to where he should be able to ask some questions of Paul. We’ll see but I’m intrigued.

Doesn’t hurt that the undercard is very solid either.

Serrano vs Mercado might be decent. Serrano has been after that Katie Taylor fight for a while now. She’s 40-1-1, hasn’t lost since 2012. Haven’t seen a ton of her but I remember her sister Cindy losing to Taylor a few years back. What I have seen of her, she’s looked good but I don’t know enough about her opposition to properly judge. If she wins this fight hopefully the Taylor fight can happen at some point. They’re close enough in weight, they’re two of the top women in the game right now and there’s that little backstory of Taylor beating her sister. Never seen Mercado but she’s 18-2 and the WBC Super-Bantamweight champ.

Big Frank’s bringing the boys over. US debuts for both and a huge opportunity for them to get exposure in America on a card that’s going to have a lot of hype and attention on it.

Tommy Fury has had a lot of criticism since he turned pro. I haven’t been blown away by him myself so far but to be fair, he is only 22 years old and 6-0 so far. I think some of the shit he gets is a little bit harsh. The Love Island stuff and looking like he does probably doesn’t help matters though. When a big section of the audience probably look like Butterbean and the only six pack they’ve ever had is the Stella in their fridge, it’s easy to want Tommy to fail. Don’t know much about Taylor but he’s a MMA guy, fought in Bellator, trains with Jake Paul…

Not the biggest fella though. He’s gonna be giving up some size here. There’s talk that if Fury wins this fight, and Paul beats Woodley, Fury vs Paul could be next. That would line up nicely and there’s been back and forth already so it’d make sense.

Daniel Dubois is looking to crack America, and another jaw along the way. Love Triple D. Obviously he had that brutal setback against Joe Joyce last November but he’s still only 23. People were way too quick with the doom and gloom after that one, wanting to declare him a flop. Get out. He returned to the win column in style in June, crumbling Bogdan Dinu with a second round sledgehammer of a right hand.

Goodnight. He’s up against Joe Cusumano here. Boxrec has him at 19-3 with 17 knockouts. Can’t find much else on him. Looks like Dubois will be getting a crack at Trevor Bryan for the WBA strap if he wins here so it’s onwards and upwards.

Not a lot else to say about this card other than Ivan Baranchyk is always worth tuning in for. His fight with Josh Taylor (although a losing effort) in 2018’s WBSS was tremendous. He’s coming off a nasty knockout loss against Jose Zepeda here though. Hopefully he can get back on track here because he’s great to watch.

It’s copped some shite online but I think this is a pretty solid card, to be fair. And the Paul’s aren’t usually my cup of tea. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by wandshogun09

[Gooner]

It's going to be shown live in the UK on BT Sport Box Office for £16.95. 

I'm a little tempted to buy it and see the YouTuber add another MMA fighter to his resume. Woodley be more famous after this fight then he ever was during his day's before the UFC champions, just not for the reason he would hope for. 

YouTuber by TKO in second or third round. 

[Egg Shen]

Yeh im looking forward to this.

Im not really sure what to expect in that main event. You'd think an aggressive, focussed Woodley should handle Paul, but you just never know what you're gonna get with him. At the same I dont think Jake Paul and the boxing people around him are stupid enought to pick a fight they cant win at this stage so i could just as easily see Paul winning by KO.

The actual card is pretty loaded to the point that if this was on at a decent time id probably pay for it too. It'll be a Monday morning job for me though.

[Cousin Jim Bob]

Everytime I've cheered the other fighter. Woodley has ruined it and won, see Lawler/Maia/Wonderboy/Stun Gun/Till fights. Whenever I've wanted Woodley to win. Like the Colby/Usman fights he has lost.

So considering this pattern of constantly letting me down. I fully expect him to continue this tradition and get KO'd by Jake Paul.

[David]

I think a lot of casual fans are seeing what Paul did to "UFC fighter" Ben Askren and assuming the same thing happens with Woodley.

Different kettle of fish entirely in my opinion. We're talking about a guy who has natural heavy-hitting power in his hands. Is Woodley good enough to beat the top of the division in MMA? No. Is he good enough to beat a novice boxer with a 3-0 record against novelty opponents? Absolutely.

It all comes down to which Woodley we see. If he comes in hungry to win this fight and manages to connect with a good shot, I don't see Paul managing to survive that. When Woodley throws, he hurts people. He dropped and stopped Robbie Lawler with what looked like a half-force shot. 

[Egg Shen]

Yeah, it depends on what Woodley we get. If Paul comes out and sticks a stiff jab in his face i could see Woodley go into his shell and take a bit of a beating.

Despite claiming to have trained in boxing before he fell into MMA, Woodley has never looked like a traditional boxer. Woodleys standup style was usually to stand static and explode when people attacked him in one off bursts. In boxing where someome is likely to stand closer and drive a more steady supply of leather into his face, i can see Woodley just shelling up and being overwhelmed. 

[Carbomb]

Y'know, I think I'd like to see Robbie Lawler take on one of the Pauls, if not both of them, in boxing matches. That would be a ton of fun - not just the fight itself, but also to see the sheer horror on a bunch of Youtube fan faces when he takes Jake's or Logan's best shot, then grins and walks them down like a murderer.

[Egg Shen]

 

[Egg Shen]

The first face off.

[Egg Shen]

 

[Egg Shen]

all abit quiet in here, but ive been following this thing all week.

Still impossible to call really, but ive found myself leaning toward Woodley the more the week has gone on. I dont know if making it so personal was the goal of Jake Paul but Woodley seems in kill mode and going from my vantage point it looks like Jake is bricking it but putting on a brave face. I think he's realising he done fucked up.

[wandshogun09]

I’m not sure what to make of it. Because of the level of opposition he’s faced so far, we still don’t know how good or bad Jake Paul is yet. And despite being on a losing streak, Woodley’s decline might be being a tad overstated because he’s only been losing to in form top guys. Even though it’s obviously a switch for Woodley - MMA to Boxing, Octagon to ring, the gloves, the rounds etc - it’s still a massive step down from the level he’s been up against recently. And a big step up for Paul.

I’ve caught little bits of stuff this week, the thing with Woodley’s mum etc. And again, I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that Woodley’s coming in pissed off. Fighting emotional could be bad for him if he doesn’t bomb Paul out early. Or maybe it’s bad news for Paul. Maybe Woodley’s needed that fire under him. Again, as soon as the thing with Woodley’s mum happened the reaction was all ‘this is to sell the PPV LOL, you guys have fallen for it’. But not everything is a work. I don’t think they co-operated on that at all and Mama Woodley and his sister seemed legit angry about it. Paul’s team are just massive bellends.

I haven’t watched that little sit down, ‘Gloves Are Off’ type ripoff you posted but I saw little snippets of it and it looked like Woodley got the better of that. For whatever that’s worth. Reminded me of the Froch vs Groves one before their rematch at times, Paul was open mouthed and stuck for words a couple of times from the bits I’ve seen.

I hope Woodley wins. And it’s not a MMA vs Boxing thing for me, it’s a wanting to see a twat get twatted thing. I’m kind of leaning towards Woodley myself the closer it’s gotten but there’s so much unknown in this one it really feels like a coin flip at this point. 

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Been catching up on all this over the weekend. I have to admit they've fully sucked me in. I've never liked Tyron Woodley, always thought he came across as a massive twat, but in this case he's the lesser of two evils. Jake Paul could make anyone seem likeable by comparison. I hope Woodley knocks him the fuck out. It's one thing for Paul to destroy Ben Askren. Askren was one of the worst strikers to ever step into the Octagon. But Woodley has legit skills, and despite how his UFC run ended, I actually thought he looked pretty damn great in his last UFC fight, sharp and aggressive before he got caught in the sub. Rightly got FOTN, and Jake Paul won't be pulling out any D'Arce chokes in this one.

Plus, I can't root against a man who loves his mama as much as Tyron Woodley does.

[Egg Shen]

1 hour ago, wandshogun09 said:

Woodley’s mum etc. And again, I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that Woodley’s coming in pissed off. Fighting emotional could be bad for him if he doesn’t bomb Paul out early. Or maybe it’s bad news for Paul. Maybe Woodley’s needed that fire under him. Again, as soon as the thing with Woodley’s mum happened the reaction was all ‘this is to sell the PPV LOL, you guys have fallen for it’. But not everything is a work. I don’t think they co-operated on that at all and Mama Woodley and his sister seemed legit angry about it. Paul’s team are just massive bellends.

 

It doesnt even appear that Paul was in on that himself. Seemed to be between Woodleys family and Paul's ridiculous crew of hangers on and yes men. 

Its utterly ludicrous that Jake Paul is the betting favorite here whe you really think about it. The Askren fight ended in spectacular fashion but it really taught us nothing other than Paul carries some power in his right hand. If he fails to put Woodley early and expends energy who knows what he looks like. He could fall to bits.

[wandshogun09]

20 minutes ago, Egg Shen said:

If he fails to put Woodley early and expends energy who knows what he looks like. He could fall to bits.

That’s a good point that I haven’t seen brought up yet. I’ve seen some going with the old narrative of ‘Woodley fades in fights’, think Dan Hardy was hinting at that the other day. But I’ve always felt like that’s overplayed. Rogan’s to blame for a lot of that with the ‘big muscles make you gas’ agenda he used to beat to death whenever Woodley would fight. But I can’t recall many examples where Woodley actually did fade badly in fights. Of course he wouldn’t be as fresh late in a fight but nobody is. The way Rogan went on you’d think Woodley was huffing and puffing like Kimbo and Houston Alexander in their fight that time. Nobody’s really brought up Jake Paul’s conditioning and I think it’s just being assumed he’ll have the cardio edge because he’s younger but it doesn’t work like that. He’s only fought 3 times and never gone past the second round. If this goes into round 5, 6, 7, 8 who knows how he’ll hold up. Especially if he’s getting hurt and roughed up in there. He doesn’t have the experience in those situations to fall back on either. And even if Woodley’s tired, the shorter rounds could help him there.

It’s all a bit of a sideshow but it’s actually a way more interesting fight than it seems at first glance.